In the year 2001, I was obsessed with all things related to
Rancid. I listened to my
Operation Ivy album daily, I wore my
Rancid t-shirts whenever they were clean (and sometimes when they weren't) and I literally dug up anything anyone in
Rancid and
Operation Ivy had a hand in. I was naive at the time, but in my defence, I was 13. So after getting into
Operation Ivy and getting my hands on every
Rancid album that was out at the time, I wondered what was next. Later that year, the debut Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards album was released, but it still wasn't enough. I came across Manic Hispanic, a Mexican themed tribute band featuring Dave Mello of
Operation Ivy, but the novelty wore off fast. I was at a loss, of sorts, until I heard about a group named
Common Rider featuring Op Ivy frontman Jesse Michaels. I was hoping for another
Operation Ivy, but when I heard it I was both pleasantly surprised and oddly disappointed. The band was not another
Operation Ivy, they weren't gritty or raw, in fact they had little of the punk sound I was in love with at the time, yet I couldn't get enough. Songs like
Classics of Love and [b]Signal, Signal[b] always seemed to get me. Well, it's now 2006 and I decided I wanted a feel good album to just sit down and relax to, and then I remembered how much I loved this album, so I decided to find it among a pile of old CDs and give it a spin, and let's just say any disappointment I had at the time has since gone missing.
Well, now that I've got the unnecessary intro over with, let's jump into that meaty (or grassy for you vegans) stuff. Let's go over the general sound, shall we?
Signal, Signal
General Sound
For those who expected another
Operation Ivy, like myself at the time, well, you'll be half pleased. However, anyone looking for a good rock/ska album, you'll be pleasantly surprised, or if you have any familiarity with Jesse Michaels, which I'll assume you do if you're reading this, you won't be surprised; he's really fuc
king talented. I'm babbling, sorry. Anyways, the album is sort of reminiscent of a few different sounds all lopped together with Jesse Michaels trademark voice leading them on. Imagine the sounds of Sublime, the Clash, Buddy Holly with Jesse Michaels singing, and well, you have a very awkward and confusing description of the Common Rider sound. The overall feel of the album is very happy and very relaxing (for the most, some songs are a little more up-tempo, especially
Rough Redemption). In short, it's an awesome feel good album you can put on, sit down and listen to and not have to think about. The album's pretty short, at a meagre 34.9 minutes long, so you can listen to it all the way though (which you should, it's a pretty strong album from start to finish) without really taking up much time, which I guess can be seen as both a positive or a negative.
Top Tracks
Classics of Love - A stand out track, if only for the sheer speed Jesse Michaels spits those words out. Seriously, try to sing along at first, it's not easy
Signal, Signal- A laidback track, which seems to show more of a rocksteady influence than other songs, if only for the tempo. I find the bass really stands out in this song, Mass Giorgini can clearly hold his own as a bassist.
Rough Redemption- I honestly don't know what it is about this track, but I really think it's awesome. The tempo's more upbeat than other tracks on the album, and the song reminds me a little more of an older style two-tone song, though I'm probably way off.
Conclusion: A very, very strong rock and roll influenced ska album, a must for anyone who's a fan of either genre. A great album for a sunny day; put it on, along with your sunscreen and find a nice chair to lounge on. It's pretty short, which I think is a negative, but maybe that's just me. The only other fault I can find is that some parts come off a little cheesy.
Final Verdict
8/10
Signal, signal, never fade away...
