Hostage Life — White Jesus EP

Toronto's Hostage Life are still majorly miffed about something or other, and their post-teen rage continues to fester on the four-song White Jesus EP. Clocking in at just over eight minutes, White Jesus is going to seem like a blur if you're not seriously disposed to this stuff, and the boys throttle the octane on all four tracks. The title tune is probably the standout, featuring some nicely gnarled vocals and shouty Dropkick Murphys-style harmonies. There's some genuine Caucasian anguish at work here, and the band do a nice job at capturing the urgency. Hostage Life also reach out to music geeks with a torrid run through Wire's "Mr. Suit," proving that they might actually be a bit bookish beneath their considerable brawn.