The Postals

San Diego punk quartet the Postals has finally signed, sealed, and delivered its debut, jamming 17 songs into 26 minutes. On opening, the incendiary instrumental “7.62 Madness” goes off like a letter bomb and sets the tone for the ensuing fallout.

Singer Fred Mintz steps up to the mike from there on, but only after demanding a shot of the hard stuff: “Lemonade.”

The joy of falling for the local mail carrier is recounted in “Female Postman,” and is the best Ramones song not to be written by the Ramones. Stand out track “Pet Her Dog” makes unrequited love sound like something to be enjoyed. “The Mail Never Stops” leads with a stinging guitar riff, while a drum solo takes “Bambi” into “Man Down Range.” An acoustic guitar makes a surprise appearance in “Shooting Spree.”

Apart from the Buzzcocks sound-alike of “Bang the Wookie,” the Postals influences are from this side of the Atlantic -- Ramones, Dead Kennedys, and even Devo blasts through. The Postals’ first is everything that good punk rock should be: raw, tuneful, aggressive, and fun!

Album title: The Postals (2010)
Artist: The Postals
Label: Postals
Songs: (1) 7.62 Madness (2) Lemonade (3) The Mail Never Stops (4) Who Left the Gate Unhitched (5) Bambi (6) Man Down Range (7) Pet Her Dog (8) Jenkins Is Dead (9) Road Rage (10) Poopy & Postal (11) Invasion (12) Bang the Wookie (13) Female Postman (14) 11:30 Sunday Morning/Sideways Walking Zombie (15) Luvywop (16) Shooting Spree (17) Y2K Blowout