This record shouldn’t exist. According to the tastemakers, guitars are out. The youth of today are listening to “electronica,” ska and Puff Daddy. Well, someone forgot to tell local band Gaunt.Formed in 1991 Gaunt has remained fiercely devoted to two guitars, drums and bass. If you want trend jumping don’t look here. If you need some rock see, Jerry Wick, lead vocals/guitar; Jovan Karcic, guitar/backing vocals; Sam Brown, drums; and Brett Falcon, bass. After numerous line-up changes, releasing four records and a slew of 7″ singles on a variety of independent labels, Gaunt has crash landed at Warner Bros. Records. The marriage of Bugs Bunny money and beer fueled excitement has spawned “Bricks and Blackouts.”The record is a breath of fresh air. Fifteen songs in 37 minutes. The record is like Columbus’ weather. If you don’t like what you hear, wait two minutes, it’ll change. Gaunt takes the immediacy of punk rock and fuses its songs with more hooks than an elementary school coat room. The album blasts-off with “Anxiety,” a tightly wound song that sounds as if it’s beamed in from Mars. And just when you try to catch your breath it slams into “97th Tear.”If you’ve been in a love/hate relationship Wick’s words in “97th Tear” will ring true. “Pull me back/Tell me to go away./It’s hard enough to give that much away./It’s obvious that she trying to run away.”Lyrically, the album is seemingly focused on the trials and tribulations of love. And things aren’t happy. Look no further than the title track “Bricks and Blackouts.” A delicate acoustic ballad that broods on the dark tea time of the soul. “I know your ways too well/I see the ways you get/And I know it’s all my fault.”The writing is very careful not to slip into the mundane. Thankfully. When tainted love is on the agenda, it’s a good thing to avoid Celine Dion-like cliches.Musically, Gaunt plays tighter than a pair of 70s jeans and shines like a new penny. The music lurches and snaps in all the right places. It’s not all about bruising, breakneck speed. Gaunt knows when to throw in harmony or when to croon instead of scream. The record benefits from the touches of horns, piano and organ blended into the mix.”Bricks and Blackouts” is a rock solid record. Listen, Gaunt works hard for you. Show your support and remember, don’t believe the hype.