The opening song is the title track, but not to worry mate; it's the kind of salvation that comes out of a bottle. To punt the point home, it's followed up by "The Party's Over," which starts up with, "The party's over there's a bunch of demons in my head." The song rollicks through psychosis and other fun, until at last the narrator confronts a psychologist, but "he would not give me valium so I cut off his left ear." Now there's a cure for the motherfucker, eh, the psychologist I mean!

But let's kick into re-wind here for a moment. Perhaps wishing themselves some protection against stalkers, government types, and other scum, the band elects to identify themselves on a first-name only basis. We have Agnes (tin whistle, vocals, harmonica, accordion); Arvid (lead vocals, bass, percussion); Gunnar Twosheds (mandolins, banjo, vocals, bouzouki); Orjan (percussion, vocals); Odin (fiddle); Trond (guitars, vocals); and Schumann (bass, guitar). As if that weren't enough, guests include STG on guitar, Tony on bass, Kristan M. fiddlin', Kristan N. bagpipin', and of course the Bergen Punkchoir.

Even though there ain't one member of the band that doesn't pull their own weight, some added comments are needed to clarify why this is one unique Punk'n'Reel band. Arvid's vocals are (usually) crystal clear, and the sound engineer takes it to primo advantage. Agnes and Orjan are all the fife-and-drum corps you'd ever need, forming simultaneously the spine and the gonads of the band's sound. The songs are all truly sets in the Celtic sense of the term, with vocals interleaving between instrumental arrangements of varying degrees of improvisation.

The band progresses through its trademark panoply of diverse musical styles and energetic delivery. They even do one trad number, and if you don't wake up in the middle of the night singing their version of "Fields of Athenry," then you might as well poke your head up your ass and go back home.

The CD winds up with the short bit "For Bitter and Whiskey," which I'm sure will find its way onto more than one Punk compilation.

Streets of Salvation is definitely worth its weight in Euros. It's a grand milestone on the twisted road of this group's abnormal development. And their Web site has come a long way too, so what the fuck have you got to lose by ordering this CD?