Riptides

If pop punk is gathering its third wind, Ottawa, ON's the Riptides just might finally find themselves in a position to benefit, thanks to latest full-length Tales From Planet Earth. With bands like Teenage Bottlerocket picking up speed and the Queers continually plugging their take on the Ramones/Screeching Weasel, this act's lilting, sugary melodies set to four chords and straight-ahead drumming are bound to grab some proponents. Still, despite their upbeat bounce and unforgettable melodies, the sequencing on Tales From Planet Earth sounds strange. Kicking off with the almost depressing "Hung Up" feels like a bring down before getting to the nitty-gritty of hooks such as "She Gets Around" and "Call Me." Few Riptides tunes are ever overtly happy though, thanks to vocalist Andy Vandal's Fat-Wreck-dude-on-valium delivery, which is priceless, and legendary in its own right. Coupled with the simplicity and harmony-heavy background music though, Tales From Planet Earth is another wonderful half-hour of bouncy, albeit downtrodden, punk from the capital city.