The first time I spun 2004’s Mystery Girl (Failed Experiment), the second album by local ass kickers the SONNETS, I took in their bouncy, gritty mix of punky power pop, surf, Who-style melodies, Motorhead-ish oomph, and Insomniacs-like garage and thought, “Pretty good.” But a second listen wrecked my day: the band’s rare talent to turn joy and anger into a holy flame of rock ‘n’ roll passion managed to pierce my jaded skull, and though I had lots to do I wound up boinging around the house playing air drums all fucking afternoon. Mystery Girl wouldn’t work without the rough-edged pipes of singer-guitarist Vee Sonnets, who founded the group in 1992 and somehow juggles it with four other bands. He writes a mean lyric, too: if you don’t think it’s a spiritual experience to hear the lines “I really like the moves you make / I really like the sounds you fake” hissed over a barely restrained surf beat and followed by a paean-to-rawk chorus, get out of the gee-tar church and quit hogging all the incense, OK? If you’re the type who cares about punk-rock resumes, onetime members of the Vindictives, M.O.T.O., and the Methadones have passed through the Sonnets’ lineup. They plan to record new songs later this winter; no word on a release date, but I’m getting my taxes out of the way now. –Ann Sterzinger
