Slam Dunk

Transferring a rollicking live show onto record fails more often than it succeeds, so it's a testament to scrappy Victoria, BC crew Slam Dunk that they've managed to capture the spontaneity and fun of their live performances on this, their sophomore effort. "Scabies" hews closest to the driving rhythms of debut The Shivers, but Welcome to Miami finds the group melding their garage rock roots with the swing of the late '60s Jersey Shore. And while hardly a homage to that era, the mid-song breakdowns and rave-ups on tracks like "Dying Breed" become the focal points of what could have been straight-ahead rockers. They mix things up further with call-and-response vocals on "Runner," making plenty of room for the occasional blast of saxophone. You could make the argument that Slam Dunk's focus on the energy of their recordings is to the detriment of song structures, but that would miss the point. It's that energy, enthusiasm and willingness to play around onstage and in the studio that set the band apart from their peers. Slam Dunk are here for a good time — let's just hope it's a long one too.