Dead Language

Following up 2010’s much-praised Cavalcade, The Flatliners dispense with excess studio gloss in favor of a live sound on Dead Language. There’s an immediacy to these tracks that matches the manic energy that the Toronto-bred punk foursome bring to their stage performances. The ska influences heard on their earliest tracks have been replaced by a more nuanced songwriting approach that delivers substantial melodies and smart lyrics without putting a crimp on the band’s bratty attitude. Chris Cresswell remains one of rock's most convincing ranters, spewing his verbal torrent with gleeful abandon. If this album’s tunes are a bit less manic than on previous albums, hellacious tracks like “Drown in Blood,” “Quitters," and “Ashes Away” don’t suffer for their slightly reined-in tempos. There are hooks galore to be found here, with the joyfully careening “Birds of England” and “Sew My Mouth Shut” standing out for sheer tunefulness. “Tail Feathers” shows the band’s mettle with a brooding ballad. Cresswell and company burn through the set with a roughneck aplomb that disguises the craft and precision built into each tune.