Listening to the brand new studio album, “So, Here’s The Thing” from Sonoma County (CA) ska punk band Legal Disaster. Billing themselves as the first “Crystal Rock Steady” band, the Crack Rock Steady adjacency is (obviously) undeniable. Fractional subgenres notwithstanding, I dig what they’ve got going on.
This release brings nine tracks, eight and an intro really, of fun, upbeat, ska punk. Healthy amounts of call and response vocals, catchy choruses, and well placed horn work provide for an entirely compelling album.
Despite the nod to bands like Leftover Crack / Choking Victim / Morning Glory, etc., Legal Disaster has a bit more influence than solely that. It’s hard for me to not hear references such as Spring Heeled Jack, and Less Than Jake. It makes for a solid mix of styles, really.
A couple of the standout tracks, for me at least, include the vocal / acoustic track The Creature. It’s an interesting diversion for the rest of the album. Track seven, “Money” jumps out with some serious sonic intensity musically and lyrically.
There’s a cover track on here, but I really have no clue who “Price Daddy and The Hyena” are, so I won’t provide any comment there.
The final track, “Cigarettes”, a more folksy number, will probably resonate with anyone who has ever struggled with quitting smoking or anything else.
Bottom line is a pretty rad ska punk album for 2025. Check it out when you can.
Cheers!
Jerry Actually
Tracks:
1 Intro
2 New Age Anthem
3 Question Yourself
4 Crystal Rock Steady
5 No Complaints
6 The Creature
7 Money
8 I Lost My Life (Prince Daddy and the Hyena cover)
9 Cigarettes
Genres:
#skapunk
#ska
#punk