What’s this? Punktastic reviewing a Punktastic Recordings release?! Separate entities, my friends, and I’m nothing to do with the latter. Separation of church and state and all that jazz.
Speaking of jazz, it’s obviously an influence upon the M2S boys but, then again, so is seemingly about half the musical spectrum. It’s very difficult to bracket them alongside other UK ‘ska’ stalwarts anymore. How Is It Working Out For You? combines funk, jazz, swing, ska, rock and more than a good dollop of pop. Track one ‘First one past the line’ serves up a delicious combination of retro-styled vocals to contrast with singer/guitarist Neil Vezina’s more melodic yet funkable delivery. The song hints at a big band/lounge sound before hooking you back in with sax-a-plenty.
Next up is a fairly poppy effort. It’s solid, but not as good as the first, and a little slow for my liking; it would have been brilliant with one or two more parts like that which is 2:30 in; a slight quickening of vocal pace, urgent drumming and the saxes coming to the fore. Track three epitomizes the lounge sound for me. Dirty bass combines with lo-fi vocals which rise as the sax comes to the fore; surely a sound that will resonate with fellow musicians.
Now the EP takes a change of direction. And I like it. Tracks four and five can best be described as funk, meets Elvis, meets Jack Johnson. Under the supervision of Brandon Boyd. Lyrics with more emotion than your average ’emo’ song, coupled with a style that’s both unique and engaging, Vezina drips over the acoustic guitar with a more than enviable degree of effortlessness. This isn’t fashionable, contrived or in any way insincere: this is the sound of experience combining with natural talent, without playing to the shallow nature of the music industry’s taste in fashion. Combine that with a natural amiability and you have yourself a catchy sound that works because of its individual and fairly unique nature.
www.punktasticrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/milk2sugars
Spud