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Cut the Noose (People Like You Records)

Don’t let Dave Rodriguez’s mouthful of words on opener “Population Control” fool you. More war commentary than global warning (“smell of the death, of the poor, of the shit”), it’s as politicized as Cut the Noose gets. Rather, the kick drum bruising “Action City” next sets the tone, Tommy Gonzalez’s hard gallop calling the shots whiplash fast on the furious title track. Two-minute bursts, if that (1:27 on “Poison Myself”), recoil a punk raucous romance (“Hit and Run”), the guitar tandem of Trae Martinez and Justin Hall’s six-string ratchet delivering blunt-force trauma. Halfway through with “Last To Go,” Cut the Noose breaks free and never looks back, not solely driven by its fast, faster, fastest tracks. The frontman’s babyfaced vocals, caustic in delivery but not Rodriguez’s pliant tenor, ricochet melodic. That said, if “Gone Forever” isn’t gone in 60 seconds, its starter pistol leaves gunpowder on your temple. Closer “High Highs, Low Lows” buffets the catchiest of all. Hangman’s holiday.

***.5

This article appears in 30th Anniversary.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.