The Spunks

Within the first several seconds of letting this album unfold, the relentless bass line, hammered out by a player who just goes by George, will knock you out. There are only two other guys playing alongside George — Hajime (vocals/guitar) and Al Batross (drums) — but on a song like "#1” it sounds like a whole hell of a lot more. This debut album from NYC’s the Spunks tears up a searing path as they shred through 12 unshakable tracks. This album’s fervour sets an unpredictable tone the whole way through, which is nicely coupled with the high-speed chops that create a sonically ecstatic backdrop. The Spunks are deeply infused with thrash-punk sensibilities and straight ahead rock’n’roll meanderings but give an injection of first wave punk rock when "Habanero Junkies” sends out a nod to the Sex Pistols. They later trip into a manic version of Vince Taylor’s "Brand New Cadillac.” The finale, "The End of Yellow Fever,” gives the album an anti-climactic sense, as it simply drones out over some loose, wandering drum beats, but that might just be a testament to how much sweat went into making the previous tracks so brilliantly scorching.