Album Review: Pup - Pup

A pathetic use of potential? Not a chance. Don't believe what PUP's band name acronym suggests, these Toronto punks are making the minutes count on their self-titled first offering, thrashing hell-for-leather through a bunch of shouty numbers that, beneath all the guitar rips and symbol crashes, actually have melody and heart, too. Occasional points throughout the album feel a little confused, like the band doesn't know whether to scream at you or slap you on the back, but tracks like Guilt Trip, with its stop-start opening blast, and the pounding sign-off that is Factories, offer too many glorious moments to worry about any minor missteps.