Following a Christmas album and a standards-laden outing (with some impressively diverse guest vocalists),
los Straitjackets return to their hallmark surf-punk instrumental core with
Supersonic Guitars in 3-D. Producer Mark Neill coaxes a bit more grit and grime out of the quartet for these sessions, and the band's feet are firmly planted once again in their accustomed roles. Even if the themes and riffs are all but played-out 1960s rock and roll cliches, the band never sounds stiff or bored with themselves. Still, for all the swagger and swing, the funky, 30-second-long, tremolo-laced tag at the end of "Can You Dig It?" is by far the most interesting thing happening here. This group has experimented with interesting rhythms in the past, and it's an avenue that deserves further exploration. Bitchin' idea to include 3-D cover art with glasses inside, though. ~ John Duffy