Escape From the Zoo are one of those bands where you are expecting a mellow trip down Mr. Toads wild ride, and suddenly realize you accidentally got in line for a death coaster that speeds down the track at 70 miles per hour, with no seat belts.

Led by Jesse Sendejas of Days N' Daze, and almost always playing in the same venues/scenes as a lot of the up and coming folk punk bands, this four piece takes the crusty feel of Leftover Crack, adds the slightest dash of Folk with some of its instrumentation, and proceeds to make one of the greatest punk records of our decade.  Jesse, both here and in DnD, has an uncanny ability to manipulate the English language to be both thought provoking and powerful, while remaining simple and straightforward.

The first track has some samples that set the tone for the record, and the band as a whole, and showcases Jesse's ability to scream and then as natural as ever, slide into clean vocals, all while playing at speeds that seem impossible.  Even if you know every word he's singing, you won't be able to sing along without falling behind the tempo.

The highlight of the album is definitely track 13, To Kill a Sunrise.  The lyrics provoke the listener to question what is truly important in life, and moreover, how one should live knowing what is important.

On the lighter side is track 6, Saturday Night Palsy.  In the vein of Ice Cube's "Today was a good day," EFTZ propose what it would be like if the world went perfect for a night "and the cops just turned the other way."  

All in all, I can't think of a track I didn't enjoy, and my only complaint about the entire album is that I would have loved more of it.  Despite having 16 tracks, it clocks in at only 38 minutes and change.

Needless to say, I cannot wait for their next release, and as they were just headlining the Moonrunners festival in Chicago, I have a strong feeling we will be seeing more of them soon, so my wait will hopefully be a short one.