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Streetlight Manifesto

Somewhere In The Between

Written by: PP on 28/12/2007 04:49:23

Liked Catch 22's "Keasbey Nights" but not so much the RX Bandits-style third wave prog-ska direction the band evolved to since then? Then Streetlight Manifesto's newest album "Somewhere In The Between" will probably rank fairly high on your best of 2007 list. Featuring the mastermind behind the Catch 22 ska-punk classic, you know straight away what to expect: a great brass section, fancy trumpet leads and, yes, plenty of skunk-able rhythms to get you dancing at home or at the show.

So in that sense, listening to "Somewhere In The Between" is like a trip down the memory lane. Familiar sounds from the early career of bands like Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake are scattered everywhere on the record, spiced up with excellent musicianship where you can hear note by note how much work and effort has been put into the music. This isn't just some half-assed ska release written for the fun of it, like the latest Reel Big Fish album (don't get me wrong, it's a fun release intentionally), this is the real deal. You can hear it in songs like "One Foot On The Gas, One Foot In The Grave", where the band explores serious lyrical topics, that although there's plenty of fun vibes in their joyous saxophones, it doesn't mean the release is all light hearted.

Much like the last Bomb The Music Industry! record, you'd be hard pressed to count how many vocalists Streetlight Manifesto has on the record, because every song is filled with background vocals, often with alternating vocal lines to add warm depth to the songs.

Uplifting, fun, danceable and memorable. That's pretty much "Somewhere In The Between" in a nutshell for you. Now grab your hands on it and skunk with me to the rhythms of "Watch It Crash".

Download: Watch It Crash, We Will Fall Together, The Blonde Lead The Blind
For the fans of: Catch 22, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, RX Bandits, Mad Caddies
Listen: Purevolume

Release date 13.11.2007
Victory Records