Screeching Weasel: Bark Like A Dog

For those who thought all pop/punk notables were ensconced in California's Bay Area, Chicago's Screeching Weasel proves that just isn't the case. Screeching Weasel's previous release loudly trumpeted the group's intentions of breaking up to pursue other musical avenues, so you have to contend with that fact in order to enjoy Bark Like A Dog. But the music therein is so sugar-coated and sweet with barbed catchiness that it's easy to forget the band ever broke up. Every song has a good hook and great harmonies, sung by people who sound like they have no business singing in the first place. Bark Like A Dog could easily have come from any period in the band's history, meaning either a) Screeching Weasel has not grown at all since its first release, or b) the members of Screeching Weasel know a good thing when they see it. If the recipe works, why screw it up with extra junk