Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves

This solo record from Hot Water Music/the Draft front-man Chris Wollard has been a long-time coming. The songs contained on this self-titled debut have been floating around in one form or another for the last five years, and when bombastic opening track "No Exception" popped up online last year, expectations were high. That this record delivers in spades isn't a total shock; Wollard has been crafting expectation-exceeding music for years. But it's the subtle nature of much of the material that's so impressive. While the opening packs the drive of the best Jets to Brazil song, most of the material takes a much softer path, more urgent folk than anthemic punk. That said, Wollard's ability to craft an instant anthem can't be hidden, and it's this tension within the songs that makes them so varied, exciting and memorable.