The Sainte Catherines - Fire Works

If you want some catchy, sing-along punk rock, you could do a lot worse than picking up Fire Works.

The Sainte Catherines are a band that I've heard a lot a band but have never got around to checking out… until now. Their music is fairly typical of the grittier side of punk-pop (not to be confused with pop-punk according to sub-genre fanatics) but conviction, atmosphere and great melodies really sell it. The raspy vocals of Hugo Mudie compliment the dirty sounding guitars and are used in such a way that they're never overpowering or out of place.

Fire Works kicks off with "We Used to Be in Love" which sets the scene for much of the rest of the album. It has a simple but effective rock-intro, a memorable chorus and a guitar-slide solo that just seems to come out of nowhere. The first section of the album is made up of largely fast, pop-punk tracks that all feature some of the strongest melodies you'll hear in a punk band. "BLR vs. Cancer" is the high point of this section with its big atmospheric guitars and standout lyrics. With "Chub-E & Hank III Vinmont Stories Part II" comes a change of pace to a rockier sound which is pulled off with strength. Its lead instrumental section and gang-shout bridge make a good listen.

The songs all have pretty typical punk-pop structure but occasionally will just throw something in that will totally throw you. "Back to the Basement That I Love" has a harmonica lead and "Better Like This" gives us what I'm pretty sure is a nylon-string guitar solo. However, during the second half of the album, some of the tracks do get a bit samey. The catchy, memorable moments are still there but there's nothing that makes the tracks stand out from what came before. Luckily, this section still has some highlights. "The Great Somewhere Else" is the most atmospheric track on the record and borders on becoming the bands "epic" with its change from slow and moody to a speedier punk track. The penultimate track, "I'll Miss the Boys" proves to be one of the strongest on the album with its guitar work from Fred Jacques and Louis Valiquette at its finest. When Mudie sings "I know I'll miss the boys" it's almost goose bump-inducing.

If you want some catchy, sing-along punk rock, you could do a lot worse than picking up Fire Works. It may not come down to essential listening but there's a lot here to like and you'll probably be humming at least on of the tracks for a few days after first listen.

(Anchorless Records)