Suspect Device are the Stiff Little Fingers of Mission Hill. Like Jake Burns, Suspect singer/guitarist Jay Bennett grew up to a soundtrack of sirens and gunshots. When he sings, “Who remembers ’89?”, he’s not talking about the punk scene. But, as did SLF, this four-piece have turned bad experiences into upbeat, powerful street-punk anthems. And they’re no rip-off; these are damn good songs. With his rich, Bragg-cum-McColgan voice, Jay belts out catchy melodies over quick beats and tight riffs. Nearly all the twelve 3-minute songs are fast, but they snugly fit short solos, reggae breakdowns, a ballady intro. You’ll crank this again and again.

February 2002