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I’m a consumer of music in the way that my rottweiler is a consumer of Kibbles ‘n Bits canned dog food: I devour it, keep just a little bit, and leave the rest of it in the front yard (typically right where guests walk when coming to the door, causing me to say things like “watch our for land mines”).

I consider it good fortune when I land upon a band whose nutritional value doesn’t land them in the yard, and right now I’m on cloud nine. That’s right, the Sick Puppies’ Dressed Up As Life gets it done for me. These guys – hailing from Australia – are/were big fans of Silverchair (the other token Australian superstar group)…which immediately makes them cool.

Give this album a few listens, and you’ll find yourself rocking your stockings. Here’s my breakdown, track by track:

• My World – a great way to open the album, with a hard-hitting chorus and some uber-sensitive lyrics about loneliness
• Pitiful – this chorus has some amazing falsetto thrown in the mix, and when coupled with the rocking, fuzzy nature elsewhere, is unstoppable
• Cancer – my second favorite chorus on this album, and the best transitional guitar riff this side of the Great Choral Reff
• What Are You Looking For – another catchy chorus, solid verses, well-crafted filler song
• Deliverance – rock it; If you don’t like balls in your music, pass on this one.
• All The Same – the token power anthem, and one hell of a song. I find myself belting out the words to this song at maximum volume, every time
• Too Many Words – another solid filler song; good chorus, great intro riff, fun head bopping
• Howard’s Tale – great bass riff, and a wonderful tempo change between the bridge and the chorus
• Asshole Father – the song that will catch you off guard; it starts soft and beautiful, and catapults into an aggressive chorus that actually uses the word “asshole”…gasp
• Issues – this is the low end of the album; I just can’t get into this…the main riff is a let down, and the song just doesn’t get going for me
• Anywhere But Here – sing along in the beginning, then get ready to throw down; big hits, great transitions
• The Bottom – here’s where the band messes around for a while; it’s fun to listen to, and will grow on you after the first two or three go arounds

If you’re bored, I’d encourage you to go check these guys out on YouTube. They’re fun to watch, their music is top notch, and they have a chick bassist. What could be cooler than that?