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Wasted Days
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Wasted Days
Current price: $27.99
Barnes and Noble
Wasted Days
Current price: $27.99
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"Boogie in the Bayou" might be a better name for
the Slackers
' fourth studio album,
Wasted Days
. No longer just a traditional
ska
band (if they ever were to begin with), the band experiments here with different instruments, including a petal steel guitar and a violin. The twangy guitar adds a down-home
country
feel to the band's unique brand of
and
rocksteady
, especially on
"Dave's Friend,"
a tough-love message to a drug-addled comrade. Keyboardist
Vic Ruggiero
's songwriting and vocals are as strong as ever, with compelling stories about love gone awry in the title track and
"So This Is the Night."
Fans of the swinging rhythm of
"Sarah"
on
Better Late Than Never
will love
"Please Decide."
And
the Slack
does an admirable job of applying the
to
Bon Jovi
's
"Dead or Alive."
The Slackers
seem to take a democratic approach to the microphone -- almost everyone gets a turn at singing.
Ruggiero
's rough, crooning Brooklynese, supported by the
soul
-filled harmonies of
Marq Lyn
, never misses.
Jeremy Mushlin
, who played trumpet on earlier albums, appears once on this record in the goofy yet lovable persona of "
DJ Mush 1
," where he howls
reggae
-style over the dubbed-down
"Pets of the World."
As he did on
The Question
, trombonist
Glen Pine
sings one song, called
"Midnight Rendezvous,"
which isn't bad, but probably would have sounded better coming from
. The only trumpet sounds on this album come from
Rolf Lansjoen
(
Stubborn All-Stars
,
Skinnerbox
), who blows just a little bit on
"So This Is the Night"
"The Nurse."
Given
Lansjoen
's skill, it's a shame the band didn't have him take any solos. Not that
need a trumpet player.
Dave Hillyard
(saxophone) and
(trombone) are solid players who complement each other like an old married couple. And
Hillyard
's solos have come a long way since his days in
Hepcat
. But having
around and not using him is like eating a gourmet meal and declining dessert. Other guests include
Regina Bellantese
on violin and the ubiquitous
Agent Jay Nugent
King Django
) on stick guitar. The weakest points of the album, aside from irritating excerpts from an answering machine tape, are when vocalist
Lyn
(a.k.a "
Q-Maxx 420
") goes solo. The lyrics to
"Made Up My Mind"
are trite at best ("I've made up my mind/I still love you/I just got to find the time/To show you how I feel" doesn't sound too convincing). And the novelty and humor of his
"Sermon"
wears off after one listen. Even with its shortcomings,
has enough power and danceability to make it an essential piece of any
lover's collection.
are perhaps the best and the brightest of American
to date; they reinvent their sound with each album, keeping the music fresh, alive, and relevant. ~ Margaret Crandall
the Slackers
' fourth studio album,
Wasted Days
. No longer just a traditional
ska
band (if they ever were to begin with), the band experiments here with different instruments, including a petal steel guitar and a violin. The twangy guitar adds a down-home
country
feel to the band's unique brand of
and
rocksteady
, especially on
"Dave's Friend,"
a tough-love message to a drug-addled comrade. Keyboardist
Vic Ruggiero
's songwriting and vocals are as strong as ever, with compelling stories about love gone awry in the title track and
"So This Is the Night."
Fans of the swinging rhythm of
"Sarah"
on
Better Late Than Never
will love
"Please Decide."
And
the Slack
does an admirable job of applying the
to
Bon Jovi
's
"Dead or Alive."
The Slackers
seem to take a democratic approach to the microphone -- almost everyone gets a turn at singing.
Ruggiero
's rough, crooning Brooklynese, supported by the
soul
-filled harmonies of
Marq Lyn
, never misses.
Jeremy Mushlin
, who played trumpet on earlier albums, appears once on this record in the goofy yet lovable persona of "
DJ Mush 1
," where he howls
reggae
-style over the dubbed-down
"Pets of the World."
As he did on
The Question
, trombonist
Glen Pine
sings one song, called
"Midnight Rendezvous,"
which isn't bad, but probably would have sounded better coming from
. The only trumpet sounds on this album come from
Rolf Lansjoen
(
Stubborn All-Stars
,
Skinnerbox
), who blows just a little bit on
"So This Is the Night"
"The Nurse."
Given
Lansjoen
's skill, it's a shame the band didn't have him take any solos. Not that
need a trumpet player.
Dave Hillyard
(saxophone) and
(trombone) are solid players who complement each other like an old married couple. And
Hillyard
's solos have come a long way since his days in
Hepcat
. But having
around and not using him is like eating a gourmet meal and declining dessert. Other guests include
Regina Bellantese
on violin and the ubiquitous
Agent Jay Nugent
King Django
) on stick guitar. The weakest points of the album, aside from irritating excerpts from an answering machine tape, are when vocalist
Lyn
(a.k.a "
Q-Maxx 420
") goes solo. The lyrics to
"Made Up My Mind"
are trite at best ("I've made up my mind/I still love you/I just got to find the time/To show you how I feel" doesn't sound too convincing). And the novelty and humor of his
"Sermon"
wears off after one listen. Even with its shortcomings,
has enough power and danceability to make it an essential piece of any
lover's collection.
are perhaps the best and the brightest of American
to date; they reinvent their sound with each album, keeping the music fresh, alive, and relevant. ~ Margaret Crandall
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