At
the end of last year I had the pleasure of seeing London based ska
punk band the Popes Of Chillitown support The JB Conspiracy at the
Barfly in Camden (review here) and was completely blown away by their
performance. Next month they are releasing their second album To The
Moon, I very excitedly checked it out.
To
The Moon begins with a song named Vamos a la Luna. Starting out with
with some horn riffs and some simple ska guitar the song starts
slowly, gradually being joined by bass and drums along with lead
singer Matt's unmistakable vocal to create a smooth reggae vibe. Then
the tempo picks up and the ska party explodes into life. I really
love Matt's vocal style, it reminds me of a cross between Jake from
Capdown and Jak from ClayPigeon. The next song Mummy's Busy continues
down the same ska punk party path. Matt's vocal is during the verse
is delivered in a fast paced rap style and really carries the tempo
of the song. OPOOM switches between dub & ska and takes the
listener on bit of a ride with highs and lows. There is a great sing
along section towards the end of the song, repeating the phrase “what
a waste of time and energy” over and over again I can imagine it
going down a storm at a gig. This all builds up to one last high
tempo ska section that'll get everyone going crazy. The fourth song
Impatient begins with just vocals and ska guitar, it really grabs
your attention from the very start. The song feels like it is a
collection of different parts, with differences in tempos and
melodies throughout the track that keep it really interesting.
Voluntary
Execution is a bouncy dance number. The bass guitar is allowed to
shine during the verse, creating a perfect back beat whilst the
vocals talk about not letting go and holding back when you want to
let all the frustrations you have in the world escape you. Musically
the song is much more restrained than previous songs on the album,
really allowing the words to stand out. Speaking of standing out, Too
Much is definitely a stand out on an album that's turning out to be
great. After it's reggae beginning it launches into life, the energy
is relentless with the horns in particular shining through. This is
another song where you can easily see yourself going mad for at a
Popes gig. Otherside starts out with an acoustic guitar before the
full band kick in. I love the use of the acoustic guitar, it's
something not many ska bands implement and would have liked to see
the Popes use it more prominently in their sound. This is one of my
favourite songs on To The Moon and is about living a completely
different life to someone that you care about and feeling like you
are growing apart. 14 Times is another very strong song. It is played
with a nice mid tempo reggae beat with Matt's bouncing vocals
carrying the melody. Another song that will get you skanking wherever
you may be listening to it.
The
ninth track Wisdom Teeth is without a doubt my favourite on To The
Moon. It has everything that I want in a ska punk song. Beginning
with some horns that make you believe that the song is heading
towards something big before a surprise “na na na na na na” and
the song begins with the brass section taking the lead. Matt's vocals
are delivered and a fast pace as he sings about learning from
mistakes. It's not all faced paced ska fun though, there are some
break downs that give you a chance to reflect on the song before the
tempo is dragged back up with more vocals. If you hear this and don't
feel the need to dance, quite frankly, you're dead inside. For the
penultimate song Hey You the Popes Of Chillitown reign things back
in. The music is sharp and full of intent. On first listen I
questioned why would they place a track like this after such a party
track like Wisdom Teeth. I think this is what the Popes Of Chillitown
are all about though, not doing what is expected of them. I love them
for that. The song Every Day Completes the album collects together
everything the Popes have to offer and blends it all together to
create an interesting sound. The vocals feel more emotional than they
have on the record leading me to think that this is a more personal
song. The combination of all the styles makes this a great song to
finish off a brilliant album.
To
The Moon is a fantastic second album, it will have you dancing from
beginning to end and there isn't a single track that feels like
filler. I love the production on it, there is a rawness that makes
you feel like at your a live show but still manages to sound crisp
and clear. The Popes Of Chillitown have put out one of the best ska
records of the year and should be the soundtrack to your summer.
Pre-order To The Moon Here: https://popesofchillitown.bandcamp.com/album/to-the-moon
Buy tickets to their album release show on 15/5/15 http://thegaragehighbury.com/listings/upcoming-events/22771/popes-of-chilitown-special-guests/
Now listening to Ashley by Green Day
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