Gloriously Shambolic,
Damn SkippyThis is a great sounding record. Produced by Manchester mixmaster extraordinaire Tim G, Damn Skippy sound great. If you like The Aquabats, Reel Big Fish and old-skool Less Than Jake, then you'll love this band. However, if like me you gave up to that kind of music when your teenage years passed you by, you'll find this a fun, albeit slightly disposable listen. For a ska-punk release, this has pretty much all the pre-requisites present and correct. the brass and horns sound good, the vocals are slightly off-kilter and the lyrics are barmy. There's no doubt 'Gloriously Shambolic' will make you dance - if you like to dance to ska, of course.
If this had been released in 1995 I think Damn Skippy would do a lot better than they will in 2006. It is very 'old' sounding, referencing a genre of music that is pretty much dead. Traditional poppy ska-punk has become less and less popular over the years as bands like Capdown and Adequate 7 have taken elements of the genre and given them a modern day twist. Damn Skippy are a throwback to a time when I wore shirts and liked to skank - almost back in prehistoric times. As I mentioned at the outset, if you like poppy ska bands - Grown At Home and early Milk2Sugars come to mind - you'll probably enjoy this release. For the rest...well, at least it's better than a side-parting haircut and some geeky spectacles...
www.damn-skippy.co.uk
paul
