X-Impossibles

The punk rock and roll genre has never had a shortage of bands, especially now, jumping in and releasing CDs with racing car samples at the beginning. The basic sound here is hard rockin' punk with vocal crooning that's reminiscent of the Misfits, with a tiny cowpunk influence sneaking in at times. Songs like "Action Man" and "Hot Wire" feature some fancy fret work in the form of some bangin' wah-wah guitar solos, which is one of the standout features of the band. Also of note is the cover of the Dead Boys' "What Love Is," done live and in one take, if you believe the liner notes on the record. Most of the songs have a good sing-along quality, as on "Cold Blooded," but these guys and one gal never really push it into overdrive and the album is sorely in need of some more over-the-top elements. For a supposed White Knuckle Ride, the X-Impossibles play it a little too controlled and nice to really get a big thumbs up here.