Well, here's another band for The Warped Tour... The Real McKenzies are a pop-punk band in the vein of Lagwagon and NOFX. Diatribes about drinking, Scotland, and well... drinking abound in Oot & Aboot.

While pop-punk could quite possibly be one of the worst ideas in history, I am forced to admit that all the songs are well written with huge hooks. There are even two traditional Scottish songs (Ye Banks and Braes, and Heather Bells) which are reworked in an interesting and true-to-form fashion.

The best tracks on this release are Droppin' Like Flies (a cool tribute to bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Ramones), Get Lost, Oot & Aboot, Shit Outta Luck, and Drink the Way I Do.

Mike Frost
www.buzzgrinder.com