Perhaps no song on this album is more representative of this quality than the opening track “Found Faction.” Guitarist, Chuck Johnson, rocks this one with a classic punk strumming riff and non-stop energy throughout. Vocalist, Scott Hicks, has that furious, punk shout that’s reminiscent to a Dropkick Murphys record. Through his local stylings it becomes apparent that in the time-honored tradition of punk singers flipping the bird to the system, he has plenty to say. Matter of fact, he wrote every song on this record himself. The problem is, the vocals are buried in the mix throughout this track, and Hicks rarely gets a moment to cut away from the noise and really raise eyebrows.

“Call the Pigs” follows and becomes one of the most fun moments on the record. Some exceptional drumming by Andy Foster drives this thing along with urgent frustration and clever dynamic shifts that never let the listener tune out. Regardless of any imperfections regarding the track’s mixing, “Call the Pigs” is a rollicking, punky good time.

“On Sale” channels a similarly frantic urgency, with Hicks spitting angry staccato verses railing against thoughtless materialism ahead of each lively two-word chorus. From a production standpoint, this tune is without a doubt one of the high points of Casual Drag, with some surprisingly clean guitar layering and a clear, provocative vocal delivery throughout.

For all that Totally Slow’s nonstop raucous energy does to keep the listener’s adrenaline pumping, the second half of this record starts to be overtaken by an unfortunate sense of sameness, as if there were no more production tricks or tonal shifts to keep the remainder of the album interesting. “The Needle,” for instance, plods along with a seemingly atonal chord progression without much in the way of creative instrumentalism or lyrical content to keep the listener interested, even with a runtime of less than three minutes.

Fortunately for Casual Drag, the band’s up-tempo momentum is far from depleted. “Enemies” brings the energy back in fiery force, with Scott Hicks at the top of his game once again preaching his thrash-punk convictions with maximum charisma. Complemented nicely by a grungy bass line courtesy of Totally Slow newcomer Kate Weigand, this track does every member of the band musical justice.

Of course, this review wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the final track on the record “I Yield My Time, Fuck You.” With the longest run-time by far — and a growingly familiar cavalcade of biting punk fury — Totally Slow brings something fresh to the table on this cut. Characteristically frustrated and ever willing to express himself, Scott Hicks unleashes his most vehement tirade yet, with the rest of the band working overtime to match his energy from start to finish. With some savvy breakdowns and solos, this one is sure to keep heads banging while still delivering some clever hard-rock substance.

All in all, after a couple listens through Casual Drag, this conclusion was fairly self-evident — Totally Slow has an unquestionable knack for their favorite style of music and truly does fit into the classic punk lane nicely. That said, as a band following in the footsteps of those who came before them over 40 years ago without much deviation from the genre’s traditions, it’s tough for this 21st century group to claim much in the way of their sound and style that’s truly their own. Without a doubt the record could’ve benefitted from a bit more technical support in the studio, as well as some shifts in tempo here and there. Yes, this is punk rock music, but a moment of restraint definitely doesn’t have to imperil such a group’s rock and roll street cred. Nevertheless, Scott Hicks remains a capable songwriter and Totally Slow has enough potential to keep classic punk fans curious as to what the group has in store for their next outing.