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Alone In A Crowd
Catch 22
Label: Victory Records
Date: 2000
Review By: Kevin
There are so many things I want to say, but I don't want to bore you to tears more than I already plan on. So anyway, my apologies if I start to ramble here. This was certainly one of my top 5 most anticipated CDs of 2000, as Catch 22 is one of my absolute favorite bands. Their Victory Records debut, Keasbey Nights, is one of my favorite CDs, certainly one of my top 3 ska CDs, and their live shows are a lot of fun. Their EP released last fall, Washed Up, was the debut of Jeff Davidson on vocals, and the band kind of moved away from the Keasbey Nights sound a little bit, which had me very intrigued about how this new full length was going to sound. Since most of their songs are written by Ryan Eldred (sax/vocals), I didn't foresee a real change in song style (something that was a real strength on the first album), but I was interested to see how Jeff would evolve now that he's spent some time with the band and gotten a chance to show off his own vocal style and sing his own songs.
On Washed Up, the lead vocals aren't really evident, since all the songs are sung as choruses, so my initial focus on this new album was the vocals. Ex-vocalist Tomas Kalnoky had a very distinct singing style which nicely supplemented the music, and my initial impression of Jeff's work was a combination of relief and disappointment. I was relieved that he didn't try to sound like the old vocalist Tomas, but I missed Tomas' vocals. This impression was short-lived though, as they got into playing their old Keasbey Nights-style up-tempo punk/ska with fast-sung verses and catchy singalong choruses. Jeff's vocals are well-done - he doesn't have the most elegant singing voice, but the harmonies are on, and he doesn't hold back - his passion certainly is up to speed with the rest of the band. He also shows off a charming side by singing "Alone In A Crowd," an acoustic ballad where he reminisces about the "good old days."

As far as the music goes, I knew it would be great. They use a three-piece horn section (they never seem to tour with a trombone player however) which is extremely talented and their drummer, Chris Greer, is just amazing. He plays blazingly fast and his timing is perfect - having a drummer like that gives the rest of the band a lot of confidence if they want to cut loose and play fast, and this album is bubbling over with fast songs. The guitar rhythms laid down by Pat Calpin are simple and clean - he does bust out a couple very nice solos to show that he's not your usual punk rock, power chord guitarist.

Like any other band, Catch 22's sound has evolved in a number of places. "Neverending Story" and "Hard To Impress" display the angrier side of the band. While similar to "Dear Sergio" on the first release, there are some harder breakdowns, something that is absent from the entire first release. If you're not convinced by what I just said, Jamey from Hatebreed is featured on "Hard To Impress" doing guest vocals - trust me, he ain't singing. "Point the Blame" has kind of a Less Than Jake feel, but other than that, this band has really kept a pretty consistent sound, which makes me happy. No matter what their songs sound like, they always sound like they're having fun, which is probably why I really latched onto this band.

I'd by lying if I said that this CD surpasses what I heard on Keasbey Nights, but it is certainly an equal. I really can't ask for much more from a band - there are 14 songs, about 33 minutes of music, and an unlisted track, which is kind of amusing (it has a wild horn lick at the end). If nothing else, it should keep me at bay for a little while. If you're looking to get into Catch 22, I think you'd do well with either Keasbey Nights or Alone In A Crowd - I really can't pick a favorite, both of them are great. Hell, just buy both of them, and then go see these guys live - you'll be hooked forever. Fans of of the new school of ska, similar to Less Than Jake, the Mad Caddies, Slapstick, etc. will love Catch 22. It's hard to write this review, since so many thoughts are streaming through my head right now, but I give you this: Catch 22 is a damn fine band, and if they ever get back to the DC area, you will definitely see me at their show.

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