After a decade without a full-length, Maple Ridge, BC yardcore sextet The Still Spirits return with Small Time Crime, released February 28 via Jonny Bones Forever in collaboration with Kinda Cool Records. This is not just a comeback record. It is a statement of survival, grit, and stubborn joy.
The story behind the release matters. Guitarist and bandleader Jon Aaron, aka Jonny Bones, was diagnosed last summer with a rare and aggressive form of cancer and given a limited life expectancy. Instead of stepping away, he pushed to finish the album. Even more powerful, he is stepping back on stage with the band for the release show. That context does not turn the record sentimental. It makes it defiant.
Musically, Small Time Crime delivers ten tracks of what The Still Spirits call yardcore. Think skiffle soaked folk punk driven by guitar, banjo, mandolin, washboard, and gang vocals that feel less like studio layers and more like a room full of friends shouting together. It carries the communal energy of a backyard party that refuses to end.
Songs like “Tiny Operator” and “Simpler Days” lean into upbeat, foot stomping momentum, while “Guilty Hands” and the title track hit with sharper urgency. “One Night Man” carries that blend of twang and punch the band handle so naturally, and “Dead Before My Time” lands heavier, especially given the circumstances surrounding the album. None of it feels forced. The emotional weight comes from the performances, not from dramatic production choices.
There is joy here, but it is the kind that exists alongside loss. Late nights, early mornings, deals gone wrong, love that sticks and love that fades, all run through these songs. The record walks that fine line between celebration and consequence, which is exactly where this band has always sounded most comfortable.
Production keeps the grit intact. Nothing is over polished. The melodies shine, but the edges remain rough. You can hear the strings buzz and the vocals strain in the right places. It feels alive.
Small Time Crime does not sound like a band trying to reclaim old glory. It sounds like a band that had something to finish and meant every note of it. Loud, ragged, communal, and stubbornly alive.
