Product Description
Propelled to fame on the strength of one killer single--"The Impression That I Get"--and coinciding with a general resurgence of interest in the US with ska, the eight-piece Bosstones delivered with this, their fifth album. Showcasing a noticeably more radio-friendly sound than previous efforts, it also continued to increase the guitar wattage, through the densely-textured efforts of Nate Albert. For Yanks, they've learned their lessons well: Dickey Barrett's gravely vocals wear the stamp of his 2-Tone forebears (notably
Bad Manners' Buster Bloodvessel), and both the horn lines and the rhythms here are as punchy as one could hope for. Clearly, this is an album designed to elicit a physical response; indeed, the very moment the pace slackens ("Royal Oil"), the band seem to lose their way. Still, clocking in at less than 35 minutes, this is a short, sharp treat.
--Andrew McGuire
CD Description
Among the leading exponents of the so-called third wave of ska, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones won the devotion of the two-tone crowd by marrying a heavy-metal guitar roar to the skanky downbeat. On LET'S FACE IT, the Boston octet's fifth album, the rock roar has been subdued in some places and expanded in others.
On the one hand, the band has refocused on its Jamaican musical tradition: "Royal Oil" features a completely dubbed-out bass line, and "The Rascal King" is as radio-friendly as any Specials classic. But the arena-punk-rock side of the Bosstones is enlarged and furthered as well. "Desensitized" is all thrash roar and funky horns; "That Bug Bit Me" cops a Rocket From The Crypt hook, line and sinker; and "Numbered Days" opens with a mock-Clash riff and then heavies up into Metallica territory (complete with a James Hetfield-esque vocal turn from Dicky Barrett). It all goes to show that you can simultaneously learn your history and not repeat it.