The sixth studio album from the ska-punk quartet is set to drop this coming Friday. Being an absolutely massive fan of the genre (I’m a 90s kid) I knew this was one I just had to be checking out, so getting sent it early so that I could do so in full was amazing news! Just to warn you now, this will be full of gushing and fangirling. Let’s just dive right in, shall we?
‘Shows How Little You Know’ sets up the tone of the album perfect. A surprisingly heavy build drops out to some of the most Madness-like ska I’ve heard in years. However, the melody in the choruses, probably helped by the distorted guitars, is clearly inspired awesomely by Rancid. It’s a damn fun song packed full of plenty of amazing instrumentation that somehow never feels like it drowns out any of the rest. And it’s catchy as anything, especially with the ‘ey’s. It’s a short, sweet track that opens things up fantastically. If the rest of the album is up to this standard, we may be onto a winner!
‘Masterplan’ opens up a little more bluesy with the piano. However, the vocal melody, cockney accent and bouncy drums instantly roots it back firmly into ska. Again, there is so much going on instrumentally, and it’s a true testament to the band that they juggle it all so perfectly and it all compliments each other instead of drowning parts out. And it’s another infectiously catchy song too; that chorus is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, for sure! It’s a fun, feel-good track and a clear highlight of the album, easily making it onto our playlist!
The organ that opens ‘Take a Pill’ is so very Rancid in the best way, as is the chanting and the general vibe of the track. I love it! The bassline is a big highlight, and the lyrics are of course fantastic as always. They fit the theme of togetherness and coming together to support each other perfectly, and it’s a beautifully uplifting song packed in around the bouncy instrumentation. It’s sadly a really real situation they are singing about, and if anyone is down in that way, check this song out, it certainly helps put it all into perspective. It’s so hard to write lyrics this meaningful as it is, let alone around some stellar musicianship too. It’s yet another incredible song! I absolutely love the extended outro with everything slowly dropping out around the chanting. It honestly gave me goosebumps, and it’s something I want to see live so bad.
Tracks like ‘Waiting For You’, the title song and ‘Knocking at 122’ are slower tracks overall, but that doesn’t mean they are in any way bad. The lyrics for ‘Together’ are expectedly poignant and, if I can get nerdy for a second, the bass tone on the latter track is tasty. All are awesome, more traditionally British ska tracks, harkening back to the 2nd wave perfectly. They play their part on the album fantastically and, especially in ‘Knocking…’s case, it’s another big highlight of the album!
‘I Don’t Mind What I See’ is a bit more high energy; opening on a rock’n’roll riff and generally bringing that punk energy back in force. It’s the perfect change of pace for the mid-point of the album, and is an excellent track in its own right. It’s a catchy, foot-stomping, incredibly fun song and yet another huge highlight on an album so far packed full of them. If you listen to any track on this album, let it be this one, it’s the perfect example of everything the band do so very well!
‘If I Were Wise’ is another Madness-esque ska banger, while ‘One In Ten’ almost feels like the album’s ballad-track. The latter is another awesome song with a catchy as anything, emotion-filled, rocky chorus. ‘Thanks’ is a brief outing of simple, uplifting greatness while ‘View for a Fool’ closes the album in an album jazz-bar style. I love the beat and the piano, organ and guitars playing around it masterfully. I just love ska music, and few do it as well these days as Buster Shuffle do. That’s why I’ve combined these last few tracks together, because it’s all such perfectly formed ska music that it’s impossible to pick out individual parts, it’s all phenomenal. ‘View…’ is another perfect encapsulation of What the band are about, and rounds out the themes and of the album perfectly.
Overall: As I’m sure you can tell, I loved this! The whole thing is right up my street, and we never get to cover much ska stuff on here so whenever I do, I always find it finds a special place in my heart. Every song on this is awesome, and the whole message behind the album is beautiful and much needed in today’s climate. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone reading this. If you’re a fan of the band, the genre or just music in general, check this out, I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do! The band are criminally underrated, and this is yet another album of theirs that shows that perfectly.
The Score: 9/10