First things first. I was admittedly only recently turned on to the Ripperz by that other site, and immediately felt that their latest release, You Are The Moon, deserved some positive press over at my main haunt, the always lovely and entertaining punknews.org. Maybe it was the instant comparison to the Gaslight Anthem that ran through my unfortunately sober mind, or maybe it was the fact that I, perhaps prematurely, albeit honestly, wanted to call this the best record I've heard this year. Either way, the fact of the matter is that this band/album needs to be given some exposure, and in my own humble opinion, a good hard listen.

What stands out the most about You Are The Moon is the surprising variety of sounds, the diversity of every single song. From the punk-ish, hook-filled opener, "Tonight pt. 2," it's pretty hard not to be on board with this one, though I was honestly pretty sure that most, if not all following tracks would sound very similar. I was quickly proven wrong. Sure, there is a blatant cohesiveness to the release, which most definitely adds to its appeal, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't consistently impressed by the new ideas that each song fed to my delighted ears. Whether dazed and confused by the acid-tinged solo of "Arena" or inspired to straight headbang by the grungy freak-out closing up "Dancing On The Weekend," there is no room in this collection for boredom. The way some of these tunes explode is simply breathtaking. What keeps it all together is the warmly familiar country/folk-influenced rock performed expertly and tastefully by this Canadian trio. Again, it would be pretty hard not to be reminded of Brian Fallon and co., and I suspect that it would be near impossible to enjoy that band and not this one. The differences between the two, however, are the true stars of the album.

Now, I hate to be "that guy" and say that I can't a single flaw here, but as much as I've tried, not even the most petty gripe or concern comes to mind. If anything, I'd only like to reinforce how good these songs sound, by declaring them free of fault. Of all this year's new releases, I can't come up with a better soundtrack to a fall camping trip or a winter's walk through nature. The band chose the perfect time of year to deploy their magic unto the world, and I can't wait to have a seat on the back porch with a cigarette, watch the rain fall and listen to You Are The Moon over and over.