Mark Lind

Known best as one of the driving forces behind anthemic street punks the Ducky Boys — themselves gearing up for a release — for the past decade, it’s no wonder that guitarist/singer Mark Lind’s first official solo album would have more than mere twinges of similarity to his day job. Thick beats and staccato delivery abound on these 11 tracks. However, one does note a discernable difference with Death or Jail: he endeavours to incorporate more of his seminal one-man-show influences such as Joe Strummer and Bruce Springsteen into predictable Sex Pistols and U.S. Bombs. It lends elements of country twang and bluesy swagger to unwavering 4/4 street punk rhythms and beer-drinkin’/hell-raisin’ fibre. One can call this predictability triumph or tragedy as they will, but in this case, it inspires the same uneventful reaction as ordering fast food: nothing exceptional but with the risk factor removed, you always know exactly what you’re getting.