There’s a definite sense of early No Doubt about ‘Creation Sounds’ which probably isn’t all that surprising as Ruder Than You was cutting teeth around about the same time as the Orange County world-beaters. Yes, the Philadelphia outfit has been around for donkey’s years (first starting out in 1989) and has somehow defied a multitude of obstacles to keep the whole damn thing going. It shouldn’t come as a bombshell then to find that the band is doing things the way it wants to.
‘Creation Sounds’ is certainly no one-dimensional release. Overall, there tends to be a relaxed ska vibe but there are moments where Ruder Than You is definitely willing to mix it up a little and throw in some manic pacing and a little bit of aggression. Opening instrumental, “pRaise HaVoC”, is the first example of this. It’s a mixture of tempos and focus points, a playful jam if you will. And then the full body of work takes the baton and runs with it.
“Baby Tonight”, a frenzied Voodoo Glowskulls-esque chunk of skacore, sits happily alongside the title track, a much more chilled-out offering. Similarly, the third wave offensive that is “Brand New Day” is sandwiched between “Yo Ho Down” (upstrokes a plenty but with a relaxed feel) and “Give the People What They Want” (a 2 Tone number complete with sax solo). And then there’s closer, “The Witch”, essentially a roots reggae track. Basically, styles are running rife yet this doesn’t come across as a fragmented release. Everything sounds just as it should.
If there’s a drawback to ‘Creation Sounds’ it’s that there isn’t really a homerun of a song. The musicianship is outstanding, and each track is intrinsically notable but no one song really jumps out and grabs your ear lugs. The record is certainly striking as a whole but it’s probably not one for the casual ska listener. Still, Ruder Than You most likely made this record for Ruder Than You so such a snag becomes mute. In this case, what the band describes as “Ska Philly Stylee” impresses.
Alex