PICK OF THE MONTH

THE VANDALS >> LOOK WHAT I ALMOST STEPPED IN.... NITRO 2000

There’s something of an advantage in being punk’s most underrated godfather/ fringe act: you can do whatever you want, and rest assured it will take the followers a couple years to catch up. By then, you’ll have already cut another album and sent them running in a different direction. It almost goes without saying that The Vandals have raised the bar yet again. From the moment the CD tray hums itself shut, Look What I Almost Stepped In is an essay in driving, yet ultra-clean arrangements. But then again, that’s what we’ve come to expect from the band who logged more hours on stage than Blink 182 has in the makeup rooms at MTV’s New York City studios.

So what makes them so damned good? Just take a moment to appreciate the speed and precision with which The Vandals can belt out one song after another. Pick any track at random, and you will find a level of technical mastery that will have John Lydon spinning in his cryogenic chamber. The focus is almost crystalline. But considering the amount of distance between The Vandals and the norm, Look What I Almost Stepped In never takes itself too seriously. That’s the best part. -by Eric Seeger