The seven-inch format is one valued by musicians and record collectors alike for its durability and brevity.  It is an upstart record label’s best chance to showcase the best song (or songs) of its best bands — but they ain’t cheap to make, so being on one is sort of a nod.

The Strait A’s seem keenly aware of this, wisely cramming as much music as possible into its grooves at 33 and 1/3 RPM — lower quality, more space for music.  Sure, their lyrics are crude, but I’m lovin’ the up-tempo energy, the angsty boy-girl vox, the pop sensibility, and above all, the succinct songwriting.  The Straits A’s come in, kick out the jams and get out, leaving four choice cuts in their path, and they don’t let the door hit their asses on the way out. There’s no pretension evident here, just some kids blowing off steam, and what beautiful steam it is.

Pretty Boy Thorson reminds me of a certain kind of blue collar punk rock that I suppose has its place in real seedy dive bars (not to be confused with the trendy urban “faux seedy” or “comment on seedy,” but awash in alcoholism and hard luck) on the wrong side of a town with a $1 domestic beer happy hour that occasionally showcase bands that they pay in drinks, but the aggression here is sadly phoned in. Punk’s gotta have immediacy — this is another band harping on the past with little to show in the way of results.  Both songs are pretty much non-starters.

(Kiss of Death Records, PO Box 75550, Tampa, FL 33675)