Punk rock and math, what a gorgeous combination! Add on top of that the fact that the lead singer has a voice that all the little emo-kids down the street would give up all their greasy neglected hair for (he credits his vocal coach in the liner notes; and so he should).

What puts Gatsbys American Dream leaps and bounds ahead of all the mediocre punk rock bands out there? Well, their creative approach to songs helps, but the biggest factor that helps them succeed is their lead singer's downright powerhouse voice. You don't hear vocalists like this in aggressive music very much, and it's a shame.

Ribbons and Sugar is a concept album loosely based around George Orwell's book Animal Farm. It's obvious that the political and social stances are quite a bit more striking in Ribbons and Sugar than in Orwell's book, however it is less an album based on the actual book (although there are many references in the songs that can only be understood in light of the book) and more an album based around the concepts that embody the book.

As far as modern punk music goes I don't see how it gets any better than this.

Mike Frost
www.buzzgrinder.com