Sisters Highway Scratch

My not-so-secret confession: I want to be the lead singer of a punk rock band. I figure I can get by with minimal vocal talent and an excess of attitude -- plus, I already own enough shitkicker boots for the job. I think my skills would do well in a band like Sisters. The Brooklyn band's new album, Ghost Fits, is a perfect example of the garage-pop-punk hard-and-fast sound that manages to escape the "just noise" qualification while still sounding as raw as can be.

Aaron Pfannebecker and Matt Conboy have clearly studied their predecessors - both the punk bands of the 70s and the garage rock of the 90s - and their album, while excellent for head bobbing and pogoing, doesn't offer much new in terms of approach. The tracks on Ghost Fits often sounded similar - Sisters isn't quite at the level of of musical variety as Liars, for example - but it's a good time of a listen nonetheless.

However, "Highway Scratch," a song dead in the middle of the album, really stood out as a unique approach. Beginning with a softer sound backed by xylophone, it showed diversity in Sisters' musical abilities, and made me interested to see what else they have to offer.