Grabbers Shuffle Deck, Add a Joker

A much different band of Grabbers is on hand from two years ago, when the O.C. punk group dealt out its debut CD. But the fundamental strengths and weaknesses haven’t changed a great deal. Shrunk from a five-piece to a foursome, with a different singer and bassist, the Grabbers remain a good example of pure punk energy as they rev, slash, grind and chug with sharpness and impact. But songwriting and singing remain spotty.

The most important change is up front, where Jonny Ver Planck is now singer and lyricist, replacing Tommy Macke. Ver Planck’s wheedly voiced, acerbically fun-poking jester is far removed from Macke’s gloomy explorations of bad relationships exacerbated by bad drug habits.

Ver Planck’s wise-guy singsong works with numbers such as the darkly driving, surf-rock influenced “Thanks” and the snotty, dismissive anti-drug number “Bean Bag.” The brisk, 28-minute album peaks halfway with rockabilly whooping and all-around muscle on a cover of the Stray Cats’ “How Long You Wanna Live?” and with “Shmuck,” which races and stomps nicely while Ver Planck issues antic, comically irate threats like a punk grandson of the Three Stooges’ Moe Howard. Guitarist Robo Milucky packs plenty of careening Pistols licks to fine effect.

But the second half drops off badly. The singsong vocals fall into sameness, and the subject matter descends to sniggering takes on sexuality worthy of the discourse in a junior high school boys’ lavatory. Which leaves the Grabbers’ design clearly flawed, although it’s still fun to hear the engine rev.

(Available from Fearless Records, 13772 Goldenwest St., #545, Westminster, CA 92683; (714) 379-2681 or Website https://www.webtrax.com/fearless.)

* The Grabbers, One Hit Wonder and Curb play tonight at the Lava Room, 1945 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa. 9 p.m. $5. (714) 631-0526. The Grabbers, 4 Gazm and Bonecrusher play Saturday at Linda’s Doll Hut, 107 S. Adams St., Anaheim. 9 p.m. $6. (714) 533-1286.