Keasbey Nights - Catch 22

So here we go. First post here, first review.

Keasbey Nights, Catch 22 edition. I call it the Catch 22 edition because then-Catch 22 frontman Tomas Kalnoky re-recorded Keasbey Nights with his current band, Streetlight Manifesto. And Matt Wixson titled his greatest "hits" album Keasbey Nights as a joke. I'll get to that one later.

So: Keasbey Nights.

1 - Dear Sergio. The album starts off with some typical fast-paced ska guitar, and blasts of horn on Dear Sergio. For anyone familiar with a Kalnoky-written album, this should be expected. Kalnoky's singing, however, differs noticeably from his Streetlight Manifesto work. His voice is rougher, more abrasive, and deeper.

2 - Sick and Sad. There is very little change moving from track 1, Dear Sergio, to track 2, Sick and Sad. Fast guitars, sharp blasts on the horn, and rapid-fire Kalnoky vocals. This track, as well as this album as a whole, is very horn-driven.

3 - Keasbey Nights. Let me start off by saying that this is the best song on the album. Starts off with a rhythm and lead acoustic guitar, then in come the horns, and finally Kalnoky. This is the truest ska track on the album, with plenty of punk mixed in as well. The rhythm is solid, and lyrically it's outstanding (excellent video illustrating it here). The chorus is catchy, and everything seems to be there for a reason. I'm not sure if it uses a tuba or just really low trombone, but whatever it is, it sounds awesome. This track is well-done by every member of the band.

4 - Day In Day Out. This is the fourth straight song that's basically melodic hardcore with a lot of horns. Kalnoky's voice sounds a bit hoarse here, though that's not a bad thing. This is about anti-conformity, or something like that, and lyrically it's evident, while not being blatantly obvious. I could do without the "bucket full of phlegm" line, though.

5 - Walking Away. More of the same. This one's a bit longer, and less horn-driven, though there are lengthy horn breaks. Solid, but not outstanding. This one is more ska than any to this point with the exception of the title tracks.

6 - Giving Up Giving In. After a brief acoustic intro, this moves straight into hardcore punk. It isn't very special as far as hardcore punk goes until the last minute or so, when the vocals take off, with Kalnoky's aggressive shouting playing off of the rhythmic backing vocals over a repetitive hardcore guitar riff and hardcore drums. This is probably my favorite part of a song on the album.

7 - On & On & On. I find myself singing along with the first few lines of this song. Lyrically, it's emo-ish, and the horn section plays the part of strings. Personally, I hate emo and strings, and this one is a bit too slow for my taste. Not horrible though. There are some parts that are really good.

8 - Riding the Fourth Wave. Solid instrumental.

9 - This One Goes Out To. Formulaic Kalnoky. That is by no means a bad thing, but there isn't much to separate this from the other songs of this sort on the album. This one is probably lyrically a bit superior to the others, though. I like it, don't love it.

10 - Supernothing. Similar to On & On & On. A bit more up tempo, maybe a bit better. Lots of horns. Like many songs on the album, it eventually turns into Tomas Kalnoky vocals over hardcore guitars and drums with occasional horns.

11 - 9 MM and a Three Piece Suit. Fast-paced horn-driven song. Not sure what the lyrics are about, but it doesn't matter. The horns here are outstanding, Kalnoky's singing is solid, and the rhythm section and backing vocals are great as usual.

12 - Kristina She Don't Know I Exist. I hate the title of this song. Call it "Kristina", or fix the grammar. This is basically a story about how Kalnoky followed this girl around in high school, and then sees her with another guy one day. Really slow, and Kalnoky actually singing isn't anywhere near as good as him shouting. The story in the lyrics doesn't make a lot of sense either. This is probably my least favorite song on the album.

13 - As The Footsteps Die Out Forever. This song is really hard to listen to. The narrator's mother was diagnosed with a terminal disease, and only has three weeks to live, and spends her nights pacing in the hallway. Musically this song is excellent, but the serious lyrics don't work well at all with the musical style.

Album rating: ****

If you're a fan of Streetlight Manifesto, definitely buy this album. It's as good or better than any of their albums. If you're an elitist ska fan who hates Tomas Kalnoky for bastardizing the genre (these people actually exist), stay away. If you like both ska and hardcore, then definitely give it a shot.

Track picks: Keasbey Nights, Giving Up Giving In