The ska trend may be far behind us, the genre still consists in a solid community. This little world got turn upside down with the announcement of the reunion of the genre's veterans, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, in 2007. After disbanding in 2003, the Boston, Massachussets act is back with their eighth full-length, 'Pin points and gin joints'.
It is legimitate to wonder if a band can still please their fans after such a long hiatus. In this case, the answer is yes. Ska lovers will be very, very happy to end the year with this album, seven years after the group's last effort. Whereas their latest releases were more rock-oriented, 'Pin points and gin joints' is made of fourteen ska-concentrated tracks showcasing the band at their best. The beginning of the record is particularly strong, with exhuberant and fun songs filled with driving horns and rocking guitars. My personal favorites are 'The route that I took' and the impressive 'Too many stars'. The middle of the record serves as a kind of break, with slower songs, before the end of the record hits hard again. Glorious choruses, boozy anthems, bouncing rhythms, the album even closes with an epic six and a half-minute skacore classic, 'A pretty sad excuse'. The lyrics are a highlight too, as frontman Dicky Barretss's writing is as solid as ever and his sometimes very serious criticism doesn't interfere in any way with the upbeat tone of the music. The production by Ted Hutt (The Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly, The Gaslight Anthem) is shining too, giving credit to every instrument, from the saxophone to the bass.
Many hats will be off to the seven-piece group with this return effort. Eight and a half months of work bore fruits. 'Pin points and gin joints' will delight fans of the third-wave ska kings. If this album is a good representation of what The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are in 2009 (which is obviously the case), then they haven't lost much on their way.
4/5
Recommanded if you like:
Mustard Plug, Reel Big Fish, Catch 22
Check also:
The Pietasters, Skankin' Pickle, Bim Skala Bim
www.myspace.com/themightymightybosstones
(Big Rig Records, 2009)
Recommanded if you like:
Mustard Plug, Reel Big Fish, Catch 22
Check also:
The Pietasters, Skankin' Pickle, Bim Skala Bim
www.myspace.com/themightymightybosstones
(Big Rig Records, 2009)
Hey thats a great news, looking forward for the album. i hope this is reslly good music.
ReplyDeletegreat album. had this on christmas day so made for good listening. Even though i would've liked maybe one or two hard tracks, it may have broken the overall feel of the album. I'd give it a 8.5/10.
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