by Chris Randazzo

Catch 22's new album "Alone In A Crowd" is a blast of pure ska-punk energy. The album features bouncy rhythms, pounding drums, crunchy guitars, catchy horn hooks and speedy vocals.

It's not that the sound is new, Less Than Jake and Goldfinger are just two of the bands that play a similar style.

Other bands just don't play the style anywhere near as well as Catch 22.

There are some great ska numbers on the album. "Point The Blame" is a fast, hard-edged tune, but the great horn hook keeps it from sounding too hard.

"It Takes Some Time" is still pretty fast, but the melody is horn driven and it has some great horn solos as well, so it maintains a more traditional ska sound.

Almost all of the songs have a solid ska feel, but the punk aspects incorporated into the album are pretty incredible as well.

The drumming is fast and precise, the guitar flows flawlessly from crunchy punk rhythms to bouncy ska beats, and the vocals are quick and angry.

What is really impressive about the vocals is that while they are incredibly fast, they are still understandable. That's rare in this kind of music.

Another fun tune on the album is "Wreck of the Sloop John B." It's a cover of the Beach Boys song "Sloop John B" and is a blast.

The closest thing to a clunker on the album is "San Francisco Payphone." Most of the song is fine, but the chorus is so off key it's painful. It is punk, so it's possible the chorus is intentionally off key, but that doesn't change the fact that it is bad.

Still, "Alone In A Crowd" is a great album that sets a new standard for ska-punk bands