Third wave ska was/is more punk-with-horns than anything that's preceded it, and since there will always be leftover marching band instruments, the quick mass popularity burnout for the music is a bit surprising. If Live Volume 1 is any indication, the vagaries of public whim aren't diminishing the enthusiastic efforts of a bunch of troopers such as the Orange County Supertones. Add fervid crowd noise, and you have the standard Supertones fare of irrepressibly tuneful neo-neo-ska with oi and rap inflections performed with spunk enough to make their evangelical medicine go down with the Poppins-prescribed spoonful of sucrose. New to their mix, at least on record, is their P&W side. Call me a hymnodic purist, but most of the biblically commendable new wave of P&W makes a better listening than congregational singing experience. Still, the S-tones fit in Sonicflood/Delirious mode commendably enough. Their strongest suit, however, remains their ska thang, and LVI delivers those goods tastily. Now if the guys would evolve without becoming rap-metal....
Editors' ratings - Doug 2.5/5, Jason 2.5/5
Similar sounding releases
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2005Reel Big FishWe're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy
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2003The InsyderzSoundtrack to a Revolution
2003RookieWhen it All Goes Down
2002ApologetiXGrace PeriodMore from The O.C. Supertones
1996Adventures of The O.C. Supertones
2000Loud and Clear
1997Supertones Strike Back
1998At the Movies!
2005Faith of a Child
1999Chase the Sun
