Oh man, you guys. The Flatliners. So good, am I right? I think that I am, stank you very much. Everything they've put out lately has been solid. While I wait for another full-length from some of Canada's finest, I thankfully have stuff like the Count Your Bruises seven-inch to tide me over. Much like the band's last seven-inch, Monumental, Count Your Bruises takes a choice cut from the group's most excellent record to date, Cavalcade, and adds on a couple of exclusive B-sides.

"Count Your Bruises" is a super catchy number, but then, you probably already knew that. It showcases what's so great about the Flatliners: Big, big chorus, propulsive rhythm section, lots of fun for everyone. No surprise there.

The seven-inch's real draw is in the B-sides. History has taught us that the Flatliners were once a ska-punk band, and "Sticky Bastards" showcases this ancient art wonderfully. Upstrokes abound, and the bridge has a nice groove to it. I get why it didn't make it onto Cavalcade, as it's a little long and a bit of a stylistic retread, but it is a nice bridge between where the band was and where it's going. "This Guy Reads From a Card" is very much in the same vein. It has some of Cavalcade's oomph, but the verses are ska-tastic. In a way, the two halves feel forced together. But I'd argue it just takes quiet/loud song dynamics to a great extreme. Either way, even the Flatliners' castoffs are good.