So far so good

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December 21, 2018 at 7:00 pm #55864

The Wind
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I’m jumping the gun here because I still need to listen to the final couple tracks, but I’m digging this album 250% more than CCF.
It’s got some good FOE flavour, and while save for a track or two it’s not very adventurous, it’s all pretty solid.
Plus, THE SONGS DON’T GO ON AND ON AND ON FOREVER. Thank Christ, either Aaron learned when to end a song by himself, or he did the smart thing and brought an outside producer on board for this one.

More to come, but thought I’d get the ball rolling.
December 22, 2018 at 2:00 pm #55865

ReelBigCohen
Member

Is it me or does this sound WAYYYYYY better than CCF in terms of being produced? Agree with everything you said Wind.
December 22, 2018 at 7:41 pm #55866

CannonBall
Member

Recording quality is definitely better than CCF and I would say it’s on par with Monkeys. Overall the album is what I expected, but overall they sound more like FOE than RBF. The horn lines and harmonies are much more similar to FOE as well as the vocal harmonies. Not having Scott in the band means RBF are missing a big part of their original sound that made them innovators of third wave ska.

Insert the conversation we’ve been having for over a decade, they need a producer to help them be more than just a group of people who are really into and inspired by RBF.

I think Matt and Aaron’s vocals sound good together.

Overall I don’t really care about most of the songs and don’t find them interesting and have no interest in really listening to most of the songs, but I rarely listen to the classic RBF we all love. I went all in on ska as a kid in the ‘90s, but it’s 2018 now and I like more interesting music.

With that said, the last four songs of the album are standouts for me. G. D. Beautiful Day is a great song and is as close as they’ve come to writing a song that sounds like Scott was involved. It’s not a ska song, it’s them doing something fun and different and interesting. I think this is one of the songs where Matt really shines with his vocals. They aren’t trying to be ska or anything here and it seems like it allowed this group of new band members and Aaron the opportunity to write a song that represents the creativity that comes from this lineup.

I Should Know By Now has those little flourishes and embellishments between different parts of the song that RBF used to be known for, not at the same level, but it’s there. Actually, listening to this song again right now and I don’t like it as much as I thought I did. It’s cool, but I’m getting bored. NEXT!

I’d Rather Get It Wrong. Again, not just a straight up ska song, there’s just more to it and actually this is the song that I think really highlights Matt’s vocal abilities. Very tight harmonies and overall rich tone.

Overall it’s a good first album for a new band like RBF. Hopefully they can keep this lineup solid for awhile so they can take it to the next level for the album they release in 2025.
January 2, 2019 at 8:30 pm #55869

The Wind
Member

It’s been said, but Aaron is at his best when he collaborates and doesn’t restrict himself to fitting into the cookie-cutter ska genre.

I like it. The song writing is pretty solid, though not terribly interesting. It’s streets ahead of CCF, and is on par with the first half of Monkeys…
Although I hate everything about the bass on this album. Where it is in the mix (SO far back), the swampy, metallic tone, and Gibbs’ basslines. He’s a capable bassist but his lines are so uninteresting – quarter-note scales all the way through. He just doesn’t have a style, which is so far removed from how unique of a player Matt Wong is.

If Reel Big Fish is going to go full “Planet Smashers”, and Life Sucks, Let’s Dance! is an example of the band’s future… I’m okay with that.
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