This one goes to the top of my pile of "stealth CDs" -- those discs that seem unremarkable at first, but then slowly work their way into my brain until they become essential.

There's nothing special about the Canadian stealth technology used on A Short Trip with the Pirates; this is straight-ahead alterna-rock -- the kind with mellow, jangly guitars, simple bass lines, functional drums and a slightly twangy boy speak/singer. Some of the melodies are pretty catchy, particularly the chorus of "Gary Haché", but not earspinningly so. On first listen, this is pretty standard stuff.

So what's so good about this disc? It's the lyrics. Well, not only the lyrics, but also the way they're sung and the way they both complement and tangle with the modest, somewhat folksy music. Remember Camper Van Beethoven's "Take the Skinheads Bowling"? It's like that: odd, somewhat unexpected lyrics paired with unexceptional music that nonetheless ends up making the song something really neat.

"Gary Haché" is the track that first caught my ear, mostly because it has the most distinctive chorus on the disc. After a few listens I started actually paying attention to the lyrics, and was rewarded with a really peculiar story about a fellow and his run in with the police...

He said, "Son, it looks like you've been misbehaving."
And I said, "No sir, I won't be misbehaving until later with your daughter, sir."

"Christian Skaters" is another one that really pulled me in after a few half-hearted listens. You wouldn't normally expect a bluegrass-flavored banjo tune to address the whole "What Would Jesus Do"/christian skate punk phenomena, but this one manages to pull it off.

In addition to sticking clever lyrics in unexpected places, these folks also have a knack for subtly appropriating and then tweaking hooks from other bands. "Mom and Dad" is a brief reworking of REM's "The One I Love", while "Grade Four" makes good use of the chorus from Quiet Riot's "Cum On Feel the Noize". And "Ladies, Ladies, Ladies" has a distinctly Velvet Underground smell about it.

Yep, I just finished listening to A Short Trip with the Pirates and it on keeps getting better. Now, I'm not saying that this disc is on the same level as early REM or even Quiet Riot (oh, you know you were rocking out to them in fourth grade, so zip it). But it has turned out to be far more clever, fun and creative than the first few listens seemed to imply.