Reviews

Comprised of former members of Grade and Boys Night Out, The Saint Alvia Cartel come barreling out of the gate with the first song on their self-titled debut, "Karma Kill Me Again," which has that good ole' time sound that punk has been missing. The overall feel of the album will remind a lot of people of early Rancid, which is definitely a good thing. The mellowed out approach is extremely refreshing and something that has been growing more and more popular over the last few years.

The presence of horns on the almost swinging "Try to Forget" shows that this group of hardcore refugees are open to trying something new and it instantly works. The poppy qualities of "Time to Go" also show off the band's abilities quite well. Song after song is amazing and the band knows how to keep the energy up while not letting the lyrics drift away in a haze of messages.

"Dirty Dent" has all the makings of a hit, but then again, almost every other song on this record has the same makings. The songs are crisp and clean and extremely interesting. The folky "Gimme Til the Morning" helps to point out that all punks don't just listen to other punk bands. This band is absolutely incredible and some might say better than the sum of its parts.

The inclusion of a drum machine in the intro of "Carpel Diem Syndrome" might be a bit head-scratching, though the overall effect works because it helps pull the song in different directions, helping to the track to be yet another standout.

This record and this band are one of the most interesting releases of 2008 and one of the coolest things to emerge from Canada in quite a long time. If you liked Grade and Boys Night Out, then you'll definitely love this record.