The sight of trumpets and saxophones at rock concerts doesn't send audiences into shock anymore. It sends them into fits of skanking, because brass has become so closely associated with ska in the recent Christian music scene. The muted trumpet and clarinet of The W's opening track, however, put listeners on notice that this is not their big brother's ska. This fledgling group from Oregon had a lot of fun figuring out what else you can do with wind instruments in popular music, and ultimately settled on a sound that will probably be known forevermore as "Christian Swing." "Swing-core" may be more accurate, though, because like their labelmates Five Iron Frenzy, they place themselves firmly in the '90s with their lyrics and punk backbeats. Dance instructors may cringe, but the result is a lively CD soon to become a fixture at Christian skates, sock hops, and weddings.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #74Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernA lot of ska has come on the scene in recent years, and bands like Squirrel Nut Zippers, among others, have brought swing back into the limelight after a nearly 50-year absence. The closest thing in the Christian market was Ralph Carmichael's big band project about four years ago. Well, The W's bring a nice mix of those genres to the modern music scene, and they do it well. Along with some nifty…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinIn yet another contemporary swingster offering, The W's have concocted an album that owes more to other hip hit-makers climbing the current Billboard charts than your Granddaddy-O's swing. The result is a youth group's "Christian alternative" to bands like The Cherry Poppin' Daddies or the Royal Crown Revue and even the more ska-focused Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The W's swing-core is a similar…
