On their first record since 2011, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones return with a familiar sound. They veer a bit more political here than in the past but hey what band hasn’t gone political lately.
“Green Bay, Wisconsin” is a good track that kicks the record off with a bang that it deserves. “The Constant” is a bit more downtempo and heavy and is an ok track, though it doesn’t immediately grab me. “Divide” is a quick two minutes but it’s really catchy and memorable. The Bosstones aren’t as overly aggressive as they used to be, the music isn’t really as powerful or punchy, but that’s what happens sometimes when a band like this gets older.
“Wonderful Day For The Races” is a decent enough track and almost sounds like a pop song, not the angry punk ska the Bosstones are readily known for. “Closer to Nowhere” is as close as the band comes to retaining their old sound, groovy horns and lightly aggressive guitar work.
Overall, the band have gotten a bit slower musically and polished off the rough edges that made the music stand out from the rest of the ska pack. But, bands grow and sometimes it shows on record. Not that this is a terrible record by any stretch, but it isn’t a great punk record, it’s a decent enough pop rock record that will probably go over well live.
When I was in high school and college, the Bosstones were one of my favorites ever. But then I started discovering other bands and the Bosstones went further down the list. Now they’re a band I listen to very infrequently but often revisit the punk stuff. This record didn’t grab me like the last few; there are a few songs that are worth revisiting, but I won’t be checking out the whole disc again.
