CATCH 22 - Keasbey Nights
CD - 1998 Victory Records
Some standard late 3rd wave ska with ska-punk overtones, Keasbey Nights isn't the best or worst of today's ska. Good points include the minute and a half instrumental "Riding the Fourth Wave", the nice lyrical phrasing of "Sick and Sad", and the quick upbeat that the band uses for most of their songs (best in "Walking Away", "Dear Sergio", and "Sick and Sad"). Overall, they have a good sense of how to construct a song, and throw some interesting elements into the standard ska-punk mix.
Bad points tend to center around the cliches that Catch 22 has picked up. First there's the tough-guy, rudeboy with a gun lyrics of "9mm and a Three Piece Suit" and the title track. Then there's "Kristina She Don't Know I Exist", musically bad ska-as-nursery-rhyme that becomes instantly annoying. The final track, "12341234" is also pretty derivative of Operation Ivy, though the band's thank-you's to friends and family at the end of the song is pretty funny. While I like Keasbey Nights the more I hear it, it's not strong enough for me to outright recommend. If you're a fan of 3rd wave/punk-ska or find the album on sale though, it's not a bad buy.
