Clouded by depression and gilt with anger, bearing a jaded outlook for today and the future, The Lawrence Arms grind out 10 Emo-Laden tracks on their debut CD “A Guided Tour of Chicago”. These former members of the Broadways and Baxters turn out some decent suburban angst-ridden punk rock, albeit a little on the emotionally torn side. These guys are not the fastest, they’re not the most hardcore, and they’re not aiming for the hip and trendy set. In these day were in that get slammed in the head like a runaway cement truck, It’s refreshing to hear a little bit of good ol’ Punk Rock -n- Roll. With bleak view of the future and a hope for better yesterdays, Chicago’s The Lawrence Arms leave me with a feeling of inner turmoil of my own. It is the kind of CD that fits well on a rainy day and evokes a bit of a cathartic feeling. Given that I am in Portland, This may get quite a bit of play throughout the winter. Final assessment, Good, like seeing a bitter drama flick that leaves you pissed off when you leave the theatre, a difficult situation with no resolution.

–Jerry Actually