On its latest effort, the four-song Smoke and Mirrors, the act tackles well-worn topics -- from corporate radio to prostitution -- with originality and passion. Junior Richardson's drumming provides a pocket for Hilt's understated bass lines, while Ellis's cathartic vocals and sizzling fretwork soar ecstatically above the fray. Spiked with several incisive lyrical moments like "I'm a middle-aged amusement park who can't stand anything," Smoke and Mirrors demonstrates that the Casket Lottery still has enough power and perseverance to produce music far better than most of the major-label filler that passes for punk these days. And the group's current tour with its longtime friends in Limbeck will prove that it still knows how to bring down the house.