Fear of Lipstick

Although Fear of Lipstick formed in 2002, their recently released self-titled effort is their first full-length venture. Having previously released a handful of quick fix seven-inch singles and EPs (including a split with Ottawa, ON's excellent the Creeps), the Moncton, NB power pop-charged punk quartet can sound a little less dynamic spread over 15 songs, but their simplicity owes a great deal to the uncomplicated style of the Ramones or other classic late '70s/early '80s punks like the Buzzcocks. Fear of Lipstick do this vintage sound well, almost perfectly on songs like the bubbling, bright "Nowhere Tonight," one of the few numbers exceeding two minutes. We hear it again on "Summertime," a song perfectly suited for its namesake season, where the band use the small, but important, additional space to flesh out the more standard chorus/verse/chorus structure their Undertones-ish pop chops beg for.