Big D And The Kids Table recently released a double album, funded by kickstarter, that arrived as two distinct records. As you might expect from the names, ‘Stomp’ and ‘Stroll’ sound like “classic” Big D and a more laid back Big D respectively.
How into each release that you’ll be really depends on what form of the band you’re more into – and to be honest we’re all of the age to prefer the punk rock undertones of ‘Stomp’ here – but both are perfectly listenable records for most ska fans.
That said, ‘Stomp’ really is the stronger of the two, not least because it’s an effortless listen compared to ‘Stroll’. It blasts by without fuss, and will speak loudly to fans who’ve been there from the start. Had ‘Stomp’ been released a decade ago, it could well be regarded as a genre classic by now, but it does feel a little out of place in 2013. There is hints of ska punk being ready for a full on revival in the wake of hardcore eating itself again , so Big D might just be overdue a resurgence as well. ‘Stomp’ might just put them in the ears of the new batch of kids picking up on Operation Ivy, third wave ska and Less Than Jake, and though ‘Stroll’ will probably go over the heads of those kids, but that’s not to say it’s not a good release.
Essentially, we’re saying that if you like Big D and ska punk, you’ll probably enjoy these records a fair bit. There’s not too much ground being broken here, but we’d love to see the band smash some of the tracks out live. Everyone’s a secret lover of ska punk (probably), and Big D are legends in the scene. Loads of fun.
TOM AYLOTT