I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m not wholly won over by street punk. Whether or not I’m right to think it all sounds the same is probably a debate for another day, but I will be honest and admit Whiskey Rebels at least passed my very low expectations by not merely ripping off Rancid and singing about smoking and boozing. Well, at least not on every song of this album, anyway…
‘Create or Die’ is instead inspired by the ‘personal take of life on the streets’, and at times while the lyrics may not be the best around, the music is actually relatively good. ‘Reaper Calling’ is a genuinely good song, not falling into the same cliched street punk trap as some of the other tracks, while The Briggs-influenced ‘Crossroads’ is another good track. If you like 7 Seconds, Rancid and the TKO records roster, chances are you’ll probably enjoy Whiskey Rebels too.