THE HOLLOWPOINTS
Bullet Holes In City Walls (Pop Militia)
Reviewed by Alan Wright

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One of the best live bands I've seen lately have just released one of the best debut CDs I've heard. With a sound rooted in past bands like the Clash, Social Distortion, Stiff Little Fingers, and D.O.A., the band themselves also site the Dead Kennedys, Misfits, Ramones and even Roy Orbison and Patsy Kline as influences. There are those that might dismiss them as mere Rancid copyists, but I think that it's the fact that they have a lot of the same influences. Lyrically, they are smart and quite political, and overall there's a real "rallying cry" effect with their songs. One of the best tunes is the anthemic "P.O.W." (which also appears on the recent Dirtnap Across The Northwest compilation), which has the lines "You can't send a kid to do what you think is right/all the phony governments I hope they can't survive/'Cause when I think I might be next/I know I couldn't kill and I wouldn't die for you." A sentiment I can totally get behind. But there's so much more! Great sing-a-long numbers like "Rottin' In My Cell," "Bombs Away!," "Afghanistan," "Government's Hands" and "Unite The Flames." "Deify" is another fave, with its rockabilly-ish guitar leads and great "whoah-whoah" backing vocals. I think these guys are gonna go places!

[Pick this up at www.dirtnaprecs.com.]

© 2003 - Alan Wright