It almost seems too easy to write a review of the new Lower Class Brats album. It’s straight up punk rock. I don’t think anyone can hear a name like Lower Class Brats and not have a fairly good idea of what it’s going to sound like. However, the more I listened to The New Seditionaries, the harder it became to put my finger on exactly what it was I was hearing.

First of all, the production on The New Seditionaries is phenomenal for a low-to-mid-budget recording, something I didn’t notice until I listened to “I’m a Mess” with headphones and could hear the subtle acoustic strumming over layers of electric guitars, backup vocals and other instruments in an exceptional mixing job. The instrumental “Lip Music” is the one slip-up in the production where the excellent piano playing (which is vital to the success of the song) is drowned out by the electric guitars and drums.

Secondly, the Lower Class Brats seem to stop just short of the hooks in their songs so that it’s almost catchy, but frustratingly so. For example, the strongest song on the album, “The Worst,” has a really catchy lead-in with some great guitar playing that just kind of dulls out in the chorus as the shouting vocal style kills any chances for a good hook. “See You Go” comes the closest to having a memorable hook with a chorus of “WHOAAAH, See you go.” I know it doesn’t sound that catchy, but trust me, it is.

What really makes The New Seditionaries good is the Brats' command of timing and good composition. Granted, they’re not working with Mozart, but they know exactly when to throw in a round of gang vocals, a measure of chug-along pounding, or a perfectly placed guitar lick. It’s this ability that catapults Lower Class Brats towards the top of the `77-style street punk scene.

Also apparent in listening to The New Seditionaries is the level of passion the Lower Class Brats put into their music. While most bands do probably put a great deal into their work also, the passion simply bleeds out of The New Seditionaries. So maybe it is straight up punk rock…it’s good and that’s really all that matters in the end.