Sort of an American mid-'90s version of
Sham 69 or one of the other original wave of rabble-rousing street-oriented U.K. punk bands,
Those Unknown debuted with this immensely likable self-titled 1995 album. Singer/songwriter Bill Owens has a certain vocal resemblance to
Social Distortion's
Mike Ness at times, and there's a similarly straightforward blue-collar ethos at work here. Owens is not afraid of the occasional melody -- heck, "In No Time nor Place" casually lifts the tune from "This Land Is Your Land" for its chorus! -- and the tempos tend toward more of a
Clash-style lope than a hardcore blur. The album's production is a little tinny, with a harsh high end, but the songs themselves are well worth investigating. The punk reissue label TKO re-released the album in 2003. ~ Stewart Mason