The Orange County Supertones

Item: Supertones Strike Back
Author: Alex Klages

Supertones Strike Back

(1997)

Reviewed by Alex Klages

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Label BEC RecordingsThe LighthouseMarch 1998

punk ska ska punk

The Supertones' first album was a breath of fresh air in a market that sometimes seemed to be going stagnant in its focus on the "grunge-band-of-the-week." However, just like that second breath of fresh air in the spring, when you smell the not-so-fragrant smells of spring, this album seems as though it could have been more than it is.

A lot of mention has been made in the media on how the Supertones are the first ska band in the Christian market. This is a true statement, but it does tend to overlook the fact that when ska made its first round in the early '80s, bands such as Undercover, DA, and others were using ska influences in their music. But that was then, when ska was mixed with new wave; and this is now, when ska is mixed with more of a post-punk ethos... and it works for me. For the uninitiated, ska is a musical form with drum beats on 1 and 3, and guitar on 2 and 4, giving a jumpy feel to the music; an eminently danceable musical form.

The key to enjoying this disc seems, to me, to be the willingness to dance to it. The songs tend to follow a similar pattern, so after a while, there's very little confusion as to what is going to happen next. This can be looked at as a good thing or as a bad thing. It's good if you're dancing, but it's bad if you're trying to find a different style on every song. Unfortunately, I find myself to be of the sedentary persuasion, so although the music was bouncy, at times it did become a little repetitious.

Despite all that, the Supertones are very good at what they do. The horn section comes in at all the right times to add character and flavor to the tunes (in fact, the horn playing is really what made this album for me, as a trombonist myself), the guitar work is topnotch, and the rhythm section is very solid. Matt Morginsky's vocals, though enthusiastic, could use a little work at times. This works to the detriment of the passionate lyrics he's delivering. The lyrics are very direct and solidly written, and on the whole, quite memorable. A good example of this is in the song "Perseverance Of The Saints," which begins with the wonderful rhyming couplet:

Let me drown in an ocean of devotion Let my joy be in my service and love my emotion

There is a good synthesis of musical style and musical form here.

Overall, this is a good album, especially if you already like ska music. It just seems to me that at times, instead of being spontaneous and raw, there's a little too much polish at the edges, and vice versa. Hopefully this is just a sign of growing pains for one of Christian rock's better bands.