Punk rock is a lot like me, born, raised and had it’s greatest hours in the UK before moving to the US, reinventing itself for the 90’s and having fun all over again. Among the host of bands that grew out of the punk revival of the mid 90’s was San Diego’s Furious IV, who laid out their stall with their 1997 debut "What's become of the baby?…". Despite being a great, pure punk album in every sense of the word it was almost universally ignored, despite the huge and undeserved success of Green Day.

"What's become of the baby?…" wears it rawness like an Iron Cross, each song delivered with the sure authority of a band who could play these songs perfectly in even the most inebriated of states. On the inside cover of the CD is a photograph of the receipt for the albums recording costs, a mind blowingly low $595. Recorded over just two days, the band declined to even wear headsets. The result is 30 minutes of punk pop delivered with both barrels.

Unlike many of their southern California contemporaries, the Furious IV seem to have grasped exactly what makes a good punk song. The whole album is cheap, fast and dripping with attitude, but as importantly these are well put together songs. Rip off Ian Taylor’s vocals and you will find a rock solid tune there every time. Also as it is a 9 track, half hour album there is no time for filler, every song flows from the last, in many ways it reminds of a live set by a bunch of unknowns who are destined to absolutely blow the headliners of stage.

The live feeling of course can be attributed to the recording process, despite this producer Gar Woods leaves the vocals up front and Taylor has no problem carrying his lyrics over the guitar work of himself and Brian Bunn, and the rock solid drumming of Didier Suarez and bass lines of Jamie Garza. Taylor is no slouch as a punk lyricist either, on the albums best track for instance "Stay golden pony boy" he rasps " Reminds me of 1995! Drag racing tattoo talkin’ hair greasing’ pool stick chalking beer drinking swing dance stinkin’ switchblade and steel toe kickin’", now if that isn’t an old school punk attitude then it’s time for me to retire to the world of easy listening and the infamous Kenny G.

They also put twenty-year-old photographs of their mothers on the front cover, and incidentally both the singer and drummers mothers were babes. This has no bearing on anything, I just think it is cool. In simple terms if you need a great summer album to crank out as you cruise around Sadville USA then you could do a hell of a lot worse than this. They may never have obtained the monetary or critical success of the likes of Green Day, but this album puts many a so-called punk album of this era to shame. Highly recommended.

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