Hopeless Destroyers

The Hopeless Destroyers don't waste time. Their newest EP, all 11 minutes of it, is punchy, efficient punk rock. The sound is reminiscent of the Zero Boys, though the guitars may move more nimbly than the vocals — there's too many goddamn lyrics. This EP might be better if it were weirder: "Rhetoric," for instance, borrows the eerie, screech-owl guitar of East Bay Ray but misses the Dead Kennedys' total freakiness. For the most part, though, the Hopeless Destroyers play with the speed and snarl of early Los Angeles bands without imitating anyone. Expertly crafted songs such as "Trouble" or "Wishlist" make good punk sound easy, and this tight, tense EP rattles with a disproportionate amount of energy. Fans of straightforward D.I.Y. punk will appreciate the stomping rhythms, menacing guitars and nasty vocals, to say nothing of the hand-stitched sleeve and crappy album art.