Civil War Rust – Help Wanted

Civil War Rust‘s second full length album, Help Wanted, was originally released at the tail end of last year for a limited run of CD’s to coincide with a tour, but now it is available for pre-order for it’s official release from Say-10 Records, it will be available on coloured vinyl and a pay what you feel download. In an age when pop punk has largely become a tainted label, mainly due to the corporate creations that cashed in on the success of bands in the 1990’s, it seems Civil War Rust are unashamed lovers of the heyday of that genre, and why not? I’m partial to a bit of the poppier end of punk myself, providing it’s done well, and Civil War Rust do it very well.

This is no corporate set of clones dressed in punk clothing, yes it is polished and accessible, but alongside the infectious choruses and catchy riffs there is some grit underneath the polished production. The ten tracks contained on Help Wanted are all wonderful bouncy punk gems delivered with conviction, and they all clock in at under three minutes making this a short, energetic and highly enjoyable album, in fact Help Wanted is everything a classic pop punk album should be, and then some.

Civil War Rust hail from the East Bay area of San Francisco, which has a fair punk pedigree having spawned Dead Kennedys and No Use For A Name to name but two, and I think we can add Civil War Rust to the list, as Help Wanted really is a great pop punk album, and it shows that this is a genre that can still produce great albums and bands. If you’re a fan of the likes of The Methadones or Teenage Bottlerocket then you will need to investigate Civil War Rust, as they could well be your new favourite band.

Help Wanted will hit the streets on 9th September, it can be ordered on coloured vinyl and download from Say-10 Records here