Junior Smalls And The Criminals – Best Laid Plans(Independent)
John ‘Junior Smalls’ Randall was raised in Saint Louis, and cut his teeth on the local punk and hardcore scene. Inexplicably, he drifted into hip-hop production (most notably producing Afroman) before putting The Criminals together and recording Best Laid Plans. It’s a fine record, with plenty of crunchy punk guitars but with a lightness of touch, which is refreshing. The Criminals brand of punk definitely errs to the pop side of the genre with a proper emphasis on songs. Randall’s an appealing chronicler of his life-experiences, whether real or imagined, and doesn’t shirk his responsibilities when it comes to applying a hook or two. The title track provides an instant highlight with its chug-a-long riffs and determined peaks. It’s to its credit that it doesn’t overstay its welcome at a shade less than four and a half minutes. “Money Changes Everything” is a buzzsaw beaut, and is some sort of link between the early 999 singles and the Descendents’ Milo album. Between the songs there are a number of ‘skits’ that seem to owe more to Randall’s hip-hop activities, but they’ll put a smile on your face if you haven’t already got one. Check out the band’s MySpace page for more details. www.myspace.com/juniorsmallsmusic
Rob F.
JUNIOR SMALLS AND THE CRIMINALS – SOUTHSIDE LIGHTS
