© 2011 Shoot the Hostage
Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

I’m listening to “So Polite” the debut release by Seattle’s Shoot the Hostage. My initial reaction is that this release sounds much like Helmet, albeit in a less directly aggressive and staccato fashion. There is almost a pre-grunge quality about it. (And that’s nice, because Seattle owes the world a tremendous debt for having effectively killed thrash metal with their fancy grunge bands. … ok ok, they also saved the world from the scourge of hair metal, so maybe we owe them a debt of gratitude too.)

“So Polite” is grounded in rock and roll hooks and musically it is well put together. The tracks are a little on the lengthy side for my preference, but they are dynamic enough that the length doesn’t become a drag. I also appreciate the maturity of the song writing. It can be easy for younger bands to come across as juvenile. Shoot the Hostage is crafting songs that deftly maneuver around age brackets. (not that I really have any clue how old they are. They could all be senior citizens for all I know.)

A few of the stand out tracks at #3 Fire California and #9 Hard to Say. All together a competent and listenable release outta the Pacific Northwest.

–Jerry Actually

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© 2010 Sailor’s Grave Records

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Generally speaking, I don’t gush. I’ll take a small exception this time. I cannot stop listening to this CD. The Hollowpoints are one of the most energizing bands I’ve heard in a quite some time and quite possibly the best band I’ve heard so far this year.

Outside of my personal accolades (slightly), this disc offers 12 tracks of punk rock combined with solid songwriting ability. Perhaps I’m getting older, maybe my tastes have changed, but I appreciate quality arrangements and songwriting more than I ever used to. The Hollowpoints have both. (Maybe it’s because I listen to music on headphones before I review it now.)

What makes someone like something vs. something else? I often wonder this when I’m trying to put pen to paper (so to speak)  … well here’s my amateur psychoanalysis of the phenomenon. Certain sounds correlate to how you feel. The affectation that you get when you listen to things that enforce how you are feeling making them rise above the others.

Outside of my minor league pontification, this is one quality disc from start to finish; Great riffs, intelligent lyrics, quality instrumentation and a lot of references that I just can’t help but think might just be about me. As a point of reference (for those who need it) The Hollowpoints remind me of the following: American Steel, The Clash, Dead to Me and Cheaptrick … so there.

The bottom line: If you buy one punk rock CD this year, make it The Hollowpoints – Old Haunts on the Horizon.

–Jerry Actually

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Well, I can’t honestly say that I’m giving this CD a fair and honest review, but I’ll do my best. I actually only got to listen to the thing one time through before I had to go out of town, while which Mrs. Upstarter promptly removed the CD from the changer and as of now it is MIA. What I did gather from the listen that I got is that “Dirty Sanchez” is a bit better than the previously released “Kicked In The Teeth” Zeke has lost a little bit of that Kiss feel (not all of it, just some) and overall the songs rock pretty well. The mystery/bonus track is pretty damn funny for those of us that are old enough to remember. anyway I gave this disc a three out of a possible five on the !upstarter “UP” rating scale perhaps fair, perhaps not. At any rate not bad for a bunch of Seattle post grunge boys.

–Jerry Actually

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