Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

With tongue planted firmly in cheek in a post modern ironic style, this three-piece from New Jersey have been compared to The Violent Femmes but lyrically they are far more in-your-face than anything by the American avant-guardists. With this debut album, Calibretto 13 launch into an abandoned, acoustic-driven punk attack on the world! "Spoiled Brat" is an observation of the MTV generation's knack to throw their time into pleasing themselves whilst ignoring their need for God. There's a killer version of The Sweet classic "Ballroom Blitz" which is somehow the perfect song for them to cover. "Movie Star" is nerdy rock where singer Chris wishes he was gorgeous enough to be a star but concludes that God "has a sense of humour, just look at me." I imagine that the wonderfully strange "The Apple Song" is a live crowd pleaser and "Get A Life" is an uncompromising attack on the band's contemporaries who live sinful lives and think they're cool! Hard hitting, Calibretto 13 sing it like it is and even though there's a wry smile on their collective face, that doesn't detract from the radical nature of their songs. Judging by "Christian Hate Mail", there are some people who don't get off on the band's sense of humour, but me? I love it! Folk punk anybody?

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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