Art Thieves is punk to the core. Their album “Russian Rats” isn’t just for punk purists though, their natural knack for melody and hooks shines through despite the short, blistering songs on the album.

The violently aggressive first two tracks, “Intro” and “Proxies” show the band refuses to make any niceties to who they are, this goes all the way to the band name and great album cover. Then on “The Untouchables” they shout about “middle fingers up” in the political riot song, foreshadowing the mood of much of the album. Later on they take the foot off the pedal a bit and indulge in some punk pop bliss on “Old Brigade.” The album finds a band longing for when punk was more of an emphatic and fun endeavor, when bands like Lagwagon and The Bouncing Souls thrived. Overall this album is right up that alley, the piercing guitar is there but so are the traveling melodic bass lines that make you come back for songs time and time again.

Key Tracks: “The Untouchables” “Old Brigade”