The Flairs, who hail from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, are a standard guitar/bass/drums pop-punk quartet that writes and performs quick-tempo, guitar-driven rock tunes. In their publicity materials, they make a point of citing their affection for the Ramones, but on their debut full-length, Shut Up and Drive, they cover Skid Row's "18 & Life," which is perhaps more indicative of their sound. Of course, '70s punk rock and '80s hair metal were never really that far apart musically; it was more a matter of attitude (and wardrobe). Singer Dawn Mandarino presents lyrics that focus primarily on romantic scorn, which fits with the aggressive music. But she never loses her sense of melody, and the music, while propulsive, never gets really wild. That's the mark of pop-punk, and the Flairs do it quite well.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo