Those who are familiar with my musical preferences know that ska either hits a particular spot with me, or either makes me want to stab at things. The Finnish Evilsons however are neither here nor there. They simply reside in that middle of the road territory which often blends into the realms of mediocrity, and for the meantime, this eleven track offering will do nothing to ignite me into following their progress closely.
To be brutally honest though they aren’t that bad. Of all the tracks on display, each shows a certain charm and quality which appeals, but all also tread ground which has been strode upon a million times. Take the delightfully upbeat ‘Breakin’ a Jaw’ for instance. It flows well from start to finish and has a certain rock and roll charm that doesn’t hinder in the slightest, but at the same time not a lot ever really happens to ever make you think that it deserves your undivided attention. Unfortunately it is this type of middle of the road ska punk that won’t be grabbing too many headlines.
The remainder of the album is made up of similarly average tracks with the clear highlight being the stunning ‘Left to Bleed’ which is head and shoulders above anything else on show. A customary instrumental (yawn) is also present in the form of ‘Backbeat’ but rather pleasingly there is room for a couple of darker efforts towards the end with ‘Regrets 42′ and ‘Skalcoholic’ providing a little more backbone.
The style of music Evilsons play will certainly appeal to that band of hardy ska fans out there but for others (including myself) it lacks a certain punch which is needed in this day and age. The mellow beats are funky, the choruses catchy, but will you return? I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Jay
http://evilsons.cjb.net/
Fullhouse Records