You may remember that The Guts took a break recently to pursue personal outside interests. Bassist Nate Doyle headed west to California while drummer Rick Orcutt worked on his landscaping business, and guitarist Geoff Palmer continued to work on his own music. Eventually, one of the best Portsmouth-based bands got back together and, more importantly, on the same page. Palmer says they “are all best of friends and always were” and just took a little break and got some perspective.

I hesitate to say “local” band, because that somehow gives the impression that the band plays in the area only. The Guts are a great punk pop band that happens to hail from our backyard, but also climbs over the fence and travels well beyond our little town. Thanks to the new record, a Canadian tour unfolding as you read this, a European tour in March and a current video shoot for the lead track on the record, The Guts are poised to further their hold in the punk pop world and hopefully garner more attention from the masses.

I’m a sucker for a great melody and a perfectly crafted rock song, and you get a big dose of both with “Sometimes You Just Can’t Win” (Cheapskate Records), a compilation of six brand new songs combined with three previous collections (“Say Goodbye to Fun”, “The Sensitive Side of the Guts”, “So What If We’re on DBD”) and a batch of outtakes and demos from their seven years together. This represents a must-buy for any rock fans in the area, a whole catalog rolled into one excellent disc. As another rock genius so accurately said, “I call that a bargain.”

The new six songs were recorded and captured perfectly by Marc McElroy (of Elroy) at his Imaginary Cat studio in Eliot, Maine. “Easy Come, Easy Go” kicks the record off and owes as much to the Beach Boys as it does the Ramones. I don’t know if bands in this genre get sick of the inevitable comparisons to those two bands, but, hey ho, there’s no denying it. And there really should be no complaining when being compared to these pop and punk rock icons. Like their work, “Sometimes” boasts some great melodies tempered with classic hooks. Front man Geoff Palmer has never sounded better than he does here, coupled with soaring gang back-up vocals and infectious hand claps. “Add it Up” is another Palmer original featuring call-and-response vocals with band members Nate Doyle (bass) and Ben Rand (guitar). Doyle takes over lead vocals on “Change,” one of his energetic originals that proves another great thing about the Guts—even when they change songwriters, they do not deviate from their signature punk pop sensibilities. 

The band’s playing is solid throughout, and Orcutt, a powerhouse punk pop rock drummer (who, along with Palmer, has done stints with the almighty Queers, among others) is in notably fine form here, anchoring this solid rhythm section with Doyle. Rand shines as well. The leads are all a hook. No wanking here. Rand also takes over lead vocals on “Lazy,” the punkiest (if that isn’t a word, it should be) of all new songs featured here.

Pay attention, Portsmouth. You are lucky to call The Guts your own.