PULP

*PULP* completes the beverage-themed trilogy that Born Ruffians introduced with their twin 2020 releases *JUICE* and *SQUEEZE*, though, as its title suggests, this final installment wasn’t so much conceived as a proper album as a place to compile some leftover tracks that never found a proper home. More than just a random hodgepodge of outtakes,*PULP* is a true testament to the creative hot streak the Toronto indie-rock trio has been on since original drummer Steve Hamelin rejoined the group for 2018’s *Uncle, Duke & the Chief* (whose sessions yielded the berserker Beach Boys homage “Happy Parasites”). And while it clocks in at a tidy seven tracks, this mini-album nonetheless presents a complete picture of the Ruffians’ myriad strengths, spanning contorted garage rock (“Checkin’ Out”), moonlit early-’60s-styled balladry (“Husha”), and widescreen art-pop statements (“Ring Finger”).

After releasing JUICE and SQUEEZE in the past year, Born Ruffians conclude their thirst-quenching trilogy with PULP, a high-energy album tha...