Guitarist Lars Frederiksen has the Bastards. Guitarist/vocalist Tim Armstrong has his solo stuff going. So it’s only natural that Rancid bassist Matt Freeman has his turn to tack his name on something, well… non-Rancid. And this is what he’s dropped here with these dozen songs.

Now, it’s getting press as a “psychobilly” album. That’ll piss off the pompadour and Betty Page cut masses, ’cause it just barely squeaks by on the “-billy” meter (C&W tinged tunes, stand-up slap bass, tremolo guitar solos, somewhat spooky lyrics, etc.). But there’s enough of that element to warrant a “-billy” tag by today’s standards, I guess.

It’s pretty punk rock with the aforementioned fringe on it that dresses it up nice. It does get a bit same-y by mid-record, despite some ever-so-slight changes in style. “Halfway To Hell” is the big standout track. Reportedly, this project started out 10 years ago as an idea the Rancid guys had as a musical. Now that is something I can actually hear in some of these tunes: a stage-y, theatrical vibe.

(Hellcat Records, 2798 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026)