The Shortcuts

The Shortcuts (2008)

John Flynn

Like others, I have fallen victim to the siren song of Mitch Clem's art. I would never have heard of this band had I not seen the art he posted on his LiveJournal. This would have been a shame, because these four girls from Minneapolis put out what may have been the most fun pop-punk record of 2008, if not the last few years.

The record kicks off with the quick-paced "2012." Lead singer Mariah has such a great vocal style that I can't help but be drawn in. The wonderful "ooh"s and "ahh"s from the rest of the band don't hurt, either. They're not necessarily breaking new ground in the punk world, but not everyone needs to, right? Sometimes, all you need to do is play fun music and kick a whole lot of ass while doing it. See their ode to roller derby, "Derby Girl," or the simple shout-along "Chain."

The music here is mostly Ramones-core pop-punk, slowing down on occasion, on songs like "Say." At a mere nine songs (10 if you include the hidden song, a cover of the theme song to Sealab 2021), the album is over VERY quickly, but it definitely stands up to repeated listening. The music is tight and infectious, and the lyrics are great. Fans of pop-punk owe it to themselves to check this band out.