Suitcase

The Wimps are a Seattle trio whose music is so punk it doesn't always sound like punk. The band's lean, no-frills attack sometimes lacks the speed and adolescent aggression that's come to be the hallmark of mainstream punk rock, but their tough, simple melodies and funny but jaded lyrical style certainly fit into the punk principles that (a) anyone can play rock & roll, and (b) good ideas are more important than tons of technique. The Wimps' second full-length album, Suitcase, is full of spare but catchy tunes that accompany clever tales of substandard housing ("Dump"), being the oldest person at the party ("Old Guy"), the nocturnal undead ("Vampire"), staying home and reading ("Book People"), outgrowing your town's hip neighborhood ("Capitol Hill"), and texting and tweeting rather than actually having a conversation ("Modern Communication"). ~ Mark Deming