by Ned Raggett Also known as Industry Standard, the Big Boys' first full studio effort may not have as much force as other efforts on a bigger budget, but it still kicks with a fun, righteous fire. Compared to hordes of forgotten early punk records on small labels, Towel towers over them due to the great musicianship of the band and their lack of fear in doing something different as they felt the inspiration. As a group, the Boys seemed to have a fascination with being on the edge of going just a little crazy; "Identity Crisis" and "Self Contortion" hint at the frazzled edge which Turner can bring to the fore even at his calmest. His great, strangled-but-powerful vocals offer up tons of sharp images from when punk really was a matter of individually standing out in a crowd (check out the hipshaker/handclapper of "Spit," especially his mid-song testimony). The rest of the band aren't so much interested in kicking in skulls all the time as they are at also hitting a sharp, spare groove. "I Don't Wanna Dance" is brilliant in this regard, Kerr offering up a snotty vocal of a scenester who is too cool to shake his thing, while the music makes a listener want to do just that, especially the smooth breaks after each verse. "Thin Line" is another solid standout, with Kerr's chiming then quickly plucked guitar notes shooting over Gates and Murray's cool rhythm work. Gang-shout choruses crop up on many a song, but instead of Sham 69-bellowing, things are more call-and-response between Turner and the rest, even on the more straightforward hardcore of "Security" and "Advice." When Turner and Kerr trade off vocals on "Complete Control" (not a Clash cover), their voices, along with the great music results in as distinct and great a punk-inspired song out there as any that have ever been recorded, all while sounding like nothing what the mainstream would ever consider "punk."