AMG Review of Steal Yer Heart

Rick Anderson
All Music Guide

They may or may not steal yer heart, but on their fourth album, the Briefs do continue to sound as if they might have stolen your uncle's record collection. They make no bones about their influences: within any randomly selected two-minute snippet you'll hear the Buzzcocks, the Undertones, the Adverts, maybe even some Stiff Little Fingers. The fake British accents (these guys are from Seattle) can be taken as a matter of course, and so can the period-appropriate 28-minute album length (though it would be easier to accept if it came with a period-appropriate album price: if memory serves, an Undertones LP went for about $7.29 new). But all caveats and qualifications notwithstanding, there's no denying the genuine trashy pleasures to be found on this album, in particular the Ramones-go-Oi! thrasher "My Girl (Wants to Be a Zombie)," the slightly icky cougar-hunting anthem "Forty and Above," and the spastically brilliant "Criminal Youth." Very nice.