As I continue my global tour of new ska music, I discovered new ska out of Sweden from the Westcoast Backbeat Orchestra, and I couldn’t be happier.
This band definitely has the full richness of a small orchestra. The music tends to be very upbeat and often horn-driven, with a level of pep that is off the charts. This is some of the happiest sounding ska I’ve ever heard. Horns punctuate the beat through most of the tracks, and there are keyboards adding additional layers through the songs for a rich texture. It’s just such a full, rich sound with at least three vocalists adding depth to the vocals. And yet at times they master the art of stripping instruments and using addition through subtraction to emphasize aspects of songs.
The first track on the album is titled “Alarm Clock”, which feels like a perfect song title to begin an album. Horns and keys come in together to set the rhythm and harmonize perfectly, creating a sound that is both punchy and smooth. The song has a bit of a reggae feel and the guitars set a nice ska rhythm, the drums are a little understated. Lyrically, the song is mostly about not being a morning person and the daily grind. We get a nice horn dominated instrumental portion and we get to experience some excellent backing vocals that come into their own by the song’s end. This song serves as a solid intro track as it highlights a lot of the strengths of the album.
“Crying” stands out in the early part of the album, in part because the intro to the song is counted in with drums, leading into a drum fill before any other instrument joins in. This alone gives the song a unique vibe. While the guitar, horns, and keys come in with another upbeat ska and reggae vibe, it feels a little less upbeat, the vocals are a little deeper in tone, and the drums punch through a little more, giving it a little bit of a rock vibe. The chorus features duet vocals with a masc and femme voice that pair extremely well. But even if they give me the vibe of togetherness, the lyrics tell me the song is about loneliness and being driven apart.
Even if the technique and the lyrics don’t match perfectly, its execution is powerful, as this song is one of my favorites. But the best part of this track is definitely the solos. First there is a short horn solo that really catches your attention. Even the drums are mostly silenced during the solo, allowing it to feel a little more powerful. But that fades directly into a gritty guitar solo that has a lot more reverb than I would ever expect given the rest of the album to this point, yet it fits perfectly and really shapes the track nicely.
“Pick Up Your Shit” is a little faster, more aggressive, and direct. It’s a phenomenal song about global warming and it begs you to pay attention; plus, we get a great saxophone solo. The song is short but it’s direct, and what the album needed at this point.
“Word About it” is a gritty dance song, and there is a little rock, reggae, jazzy, and bluesy feel. Where the album began feeling clean and smooth, through this part of the album, we start to feel more attitude. This is definitely music that you feel as much as music that you listen to. “Saturday Bone” is a little more syncopated, and much of the song is stripped down to just a drum counting rhythm and vocals, or some rhythm guitar.
As the album moves forward, it isn’t just playing a collection of songs; it’s an evolving sound. The album feels alive as it progresses. “Misty Waters” branches into yet another new direction. The keys feel a little more significant in this track. It feels calm and smooth again, but in a different way. It’s not as upbeat, even if it’s more soft through most of the track. It does get more aggressive at the end, but its a constrained aggression. “Get Rid of Yesterday” loses much of that constraint; it has definite rock elements and a pace that is unmatched on the album. Solid bass lines playing under the melody definitely bring the tempo up with the faster paced drums. Then we get another great guitar solo, but this one has more of a 60s rock vibe to me instead of a heavy distorted grungy feel. The horns, at times, feel as punchy as 90s third wave, with almost a Reel Big Fish type vibe.
While the album continues from here, I’ve definitely discussed more of the individual tracks than I feel comfortable talking about. I like to leave more songs to explore, but I really appreciate the progression through this album that you get to experience. I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to explore more ska bands from around the world lately, as I don’t know that I would have discovered this band otherwise.
Take a listen to the album below:
Written by Gimp Leg
