After being delayed several times, and after changing labels at least three times, Numbers On Napkins finally release the long awaited full length album, "Borrachos, Chingasos Y Rucas". Now NON isn't a huge band, and doesn't have a huge following, Their MySpace page has over 65,000 friends with over half a million views, but really, that's nothing compared to many other punk bands. They have a strong following in their hometown of Phoenix, but if you catch a live show while their on the road, you wouldn't be surprised if the only fan in the venue besides yourself was the bartender, club owner, and other bands performing the same show. When I lived in Phoenix, I would go to their shows and see hundreds of hyped kids, but after moving to Southern California, every show they have played here has had a small turnout. I will admit, it doesn't matter the size of the crowd.....if you see NON live, they are gonna put on an amazing energetic comedic performance.

Their new album, "Borrachos, Chingasos Y Rucas", (Translation: Drunks, Fist Fights and Girlfriends), is a twelve song LP that was produced by the one and only, Joe Queer. As far as I know, this was the first time that Joe Queer, the guitarist and vocalist for The Queers, has ever produced an album. Numbers On Napkins recorded the album in Chandler, Arizona at Arcane Digital Recording. They had Ryan Butler (guitarist for the grindcore band, Landmine Marathon) engineer and mix the album, a process that took over two years to complete. The recording took awhile due to the fact that Joe Queer was always on tour with The Queers. NON would send Joe Queer email files of the songs, or sometimes mail him CD-R's, and Joe would listen and give his input. Joe Queer did work with the guys in the studio as well, whenever The Queers performed in Phoenix.

NON is best known for their pop punk song, "Runaway", that was put into rotation on several college and online stations, as well as local rock and alternative stations in Arizona like 103.9FM The Edge. After the band released the follow up to their debut, "Waiting for Tomorrow", they had hoped to get a similar response and hear songs from that release played on the radio. Stations played "The Poor Misfortune of a Dimwitted Lemming" and "The Last Song", but neither song was put into full rotation, and their fan favorite, "Runaway", was played far more often then either of the tracks from "Quicker-Drunken-Louder-Harder".

NON's new CD has several strong tracks, any of which could be a strong single. The album starts off with the song, "Summer of Chase", a melodic and simple tune that is nothing but vocals and a piano. The song throws you off at first, making you wonder what the album is going to sound like. It was a bold first track, but while the song is decent, and eventually grows on you and bores into your brain and repeats...at first listen, it's unimpressive. Many listeners may have just turned the CD off, but as the song completes, it blends into the following track, that is in my opinion the strongest song on the album, and possibly the greatest song that the band has ever released.

"Forget This, I'm Going to Tokyo" starts off with a fairly complex bass line, then hits you in the face with a crunchy distorted guitar playing the root notes, and a crisp distorted and treble filled second guitar playing the main riff, that is full of fills and just all over the place. The drums are crazy insane, as drummer Tad Gurthman rolls across his toms and snare, with crashing symbols and off time beats. It almost seems like the drumming in the song is just one long drum solo, but damn does it all fit together well. During the chorus of the song, you can hear a faint piano playing the last notes of the previous track, "Summer of Chase", and the verses seem to have what I assume is a keyboard or synthesizer in the mix, although it might be an effects pedal of some type. All of the instruments seem to being going off in different directions, but fit together flawlessly with Chase Stain's vocals. Stain sings, "Forget This, I'm Going to Tokyo" unlike any song that I've heard him sing in the past, using more falsetto vocals. The song is unique, and hard to compare to anything.

NON continues to give their fans some of their best work ever with track three, "Go Away". The song has a very original sound, thanks to bassist, Chase Stain, using some type of flange or phase effect on his bass during the chorus of the song. Stain plays high notes on his bass during the chorus, and when the effect is layered into his tone, it creates a strange but catchy hook that is right up in your face. Tad Gurthman's lead vocals in the song are strong and full of emotion, and it was a very pleasant surprise to hear how strong of a vocalist he is. "Go Away" is also the first song from the band that Gurthman wrote all of the lyrics for, as well as all of the music. After hearing the track, I honestly hope that Gurthman continues to write and sing music for the band, because I feel as though he has a lot to offer.

Track four is the first song on the album that was written and sang by Moe Money, who also sang and wrote NON's most successful single, "Runaway". Money is probably the strongest vocalist in the group, and has a way of writing very catchy and melodic pop punk tunes. Track four is called, "Ten Years Ago Today", and features some of the greatest lyrics that I've ever heard from the band. The song is basic and poppy, but the heartfelt lyrics tell the story of how he misses his youth and has seen so many amazing shows, and made many memories, and wasn't prepared to grow up. "I thought I'd never live to see, Playboy girls born in 1983... It seems like only yesterday, when bills were meant only for our parents to pay. We worked our jobs to make some cash, went out at night and all got so trashed that we couldn't understand, or even comprehend that girls and kids would come between those nights we spent on the run, down the street with everyone, and all the stolen beer from Circle K". Great lyrics that take the listener back to the days of their youth.

The album continues to produce great songs, including an acoustic traditional Irish folk song called, "Ode to the Drink". The song has clever lyrics, that were written by Chase Stain and Tad Gurthman, and it actually sounds like an old Irish song that you've heard before. Stain sings the song using an Irish accent, and Gurthman actually plays the bodhran (a traditional Irish drum made from sheepskin) on the song.

One of the stranger songs on the album is titled, "Yaushoi Sroiboty I Mne Navse Plevati". NON invited Landmine Marathon guitarist, Ryan Butler, to play guitar on this jazz song that is sang very weirdly in Russian. After listening to the track 3 or 4 times, I still can't tell how I feel about it......it's just weird.

NON also covers the song, "Uhhh", originally performed by The Lemonheads. They chose a pretty cool song to cover, as it is from the Lemonheads very first album, "Hate Your Friends", way back in the days when The Lemonheads were still a punk band, and Ben Deily was still in the band. I'm actually a huge fan of old Lemonheads, so it was pretty cool to hear NON's take on the song. I must admit, it isn't often that a cover is better than the original, and at best, the cover is as good at the original. Although somehow NON manages to perform the track slightly better than the original version, adding a simple little guitar fill and solo to the track that gives it the hook that it was missing.

The last track on the song is "Bad Decisions", a punk rock tune that is sang by NON guitarist, Matt Martini. "Bad Decisions" is the first song that Martini has ever written for NON, both the lyrics and music. It is also the first time that Matt Martini has taken the role as lead vocalist for the band. Martini's song writing style is a perfect fit for NON, considering that "Bad Decisions" is a tune that tells the story of how while drinking at a bar, Martini had to take a crap and accidently got vomit on his dick while sitting down on a puke covered toilet seat. When I think about NON's past releases, at least one song from every album is about their penis' in some way. Whether it's the song "True Love", also known as "Britney Suck A Mean Dick", or "My girlfriend Bit My Dick Off", NON always manages to mention male genitalia in some way. So I guess you could say that Martini fully completes this album with his contribution of the song.

One thing I would say about "Borrachos..." is that I was shocked when the good songs just kept coming. Most albums have 2 or 3 good songs, 2 or 3 okay songs, with the remaining songs feeling like filler tracks...but then there are those albums when all or most of the songs are just incredible. Don't get me wrong, "Borrachos..." isn't an epic album like "The White Album", or "Appetite for Destruction", or "Californiacation", or "American Idiot" or.... well, any amazing album that produced several iconic singles, but it's an extremely solid release. Despite the fact that the album took nearly five years to finally be released, "Borrachos..." is well worth the wait!