Opening with the sound of sirens wailing in the background, Step Up is the debut offering from the band formerly known as Dead Letters. Heavily influenced by the SoCal punk scene (think Pennywise, Rancid and the alumni of Epitaph Records) the 13 track release is a swaggering slice of sonic aggression with some sugary melodies added in to sweeten the deal. SOS’s short, sharp salvos are outstanding, fired by some sterling production that makes tracks like ‘The Joke That Killed The Party’ and the no-nonsense ‘Hypocrite’ seem like world beaters.
It’s not all punk rock fury: the Operation Ivy-esque lazy skank of ‘Flat 11b’ and the power pop of ‘Sorry, No Apologies’ show that they can switch it up musically and it’s adds an extra bite to the meatier tunes such as ‘Ready To Go’ and ‘Weapons Of Crass Destruction.’ Not the most original record, it’s got energy and bottle.
Key Track: ‘The Joke That Killed The Party’