Only the third full-length album by
the Crumbs in a long and vigorous career, 2004's
Last Exit is entirely of a piece with their earlier records: straightforward street punk with strong hints of
Social Distortion (especially when the group affect a country-ish twang, as on the sly "Drunken Call") and any number of classic '70s bands. These 14 songs are workmanlike punk rock, low on frills and unneeded embellishments but high on catchy shout-along choruses; the flaw is that the band's energy levels sound like they're only running at about 70 percent of capacity. The performances are sometimes uninspired and a touch flabby, with only occasional bursts of energy like the galloping "Dead Guy Boogie" standing out from the solid but somewhat faceless mass. ~ Stewart Mason