Smoke Or Fire, This Sinking Ship

“It’s true there is a color divide / It’s not black or white, it’s green.” Nice. I already dig this band’s worldview. I’ve not heard Smoke Or Fire’s previous LP, but apparently, it drew comparisons to Avail and Hot Water Music, and while I can still hear those influences in there, This Sinking Ship also contains aural nods to The Replacements and Social Distortion. As such, it’s a lot more just plain adjectiveless “rock,” which is great in this era of multi-hyphenate-core bands. That’s not to say that Smoke Or Fire’s punk roots are absent; you can pretty much detect them on every track, from the raging guitars to the anthemic sing-alongs to the overall energy with which the material is delivered. Actually, at times Smoke Or Fire reminds me a lot of a less-metal Ignite, both stylistically and idealistically. And since Ignite is one of my favorite punk bands, that’s a good thing. They also remind me of a less-hardcore, slowed-down version of Lifetime, which is also a very good thing. If you like good, loud, smart rock without posing or artifice, then I don’t think you could go wrong with Smoke Or Fire.