The Galley Slave and Chinatown Jailbreak are getting the most airplay right now, and for a good reason. Their sounds are unique: The Galley Slave has the drum beat of a slave ship, the sound of waves crashing against the ship’s hull, and a slight Mediterranean undertone that can draw you into the feeling that you’re actually there, watching the ancient Christian slaves row for their lives. Chinatown Jailbreak meshes Celtic and Asian themes into the music with Tobin Bawinkle’s vocals remaining strictly hardcore punk.

I would like to add Loaded Gun to that list. It doesn’t get much air play, but it should. You might get cops following you if you start singing “Gun gun, this is my loaded gun” in public, but it’s hard not to. Despite the lyrics, the beat is a bit lighter, less driven, but still with their trademark sound.

These guys don’t just play for entertainment, they’ve got a message to get out. The title track, Jungle of the Midwest Sea, deals with the history of Chicago, their hometown, and particularly about a riot in the meatpacking industry due to some unsavory practices. And Pay Me A Dollar takes a different look at fathers who don’t have time for their families due to their jobs. Rather than taking the view of fathers who prefer climbing the corporate ladder to spending time with their families, they honor the men who have to work their days away just to provide. It’s a view that is often ignored these days, but one worth examining.

While most songs are serious in nature, they also have a bit of fun. I tend to read too much into things, so the line “Wondering if this is how life ends… then the folds come off and it’s all his friends” on Carry ‘Em Out had me convinced that this was a really deep song about gang violence- until the lyric description explained that it’s about the time they kidnapped their own bagpiper and scared the crap out of him. One of the guys also pops up occasionally throughout the album with a really bad accent. If the volume is high enough to hear him, it’s usually good for a chuckle.

In fact, the only song on the disc that comes out a bit weak is the last one, Same Ol Story, not for the lyrics but for the toned down, practically accapella rendition that comes off sounding a little like a highschool boys’ choir singing a hymn. Still, 13 tracks out of 14 being excellent is pretty good odds.

Bonus: Hoity Toity sounds a bit like a hardcore Offspring.