After 6 years of waiting, New Orleans’s own Bad Operation has released their sophomore album, Everything Must Go. In 2020 the reggae/ska band dropped their debut on the relatively new label, Bad Time Records. They coined the phrase “New Tone” for their unique sound, as a play on the phrase “two-tone” for what is often referred to as second wave ska, and a response to the ever-present question about the elusive fourth wave of ska. “New Tone”, as a phrase, became a common reference to modern ska bands, especially those on Bad Time Records, but the lack of a cohesive style across the modern ska scene has prevented it from being used universally. To drive that lack of cohesion home even further, there are few bands – if any – that are close to the sound of Bad Operation.
Everything Must Go picks up exactly where the self-titled debut left off: A masterpiece of a modern take on reggae, two-tone, and trad ska, with very little horns, tons of keys, and smooth vocals.
The album begins with “Chokehold”, led by a dominant keyboard throughout the song establishing the trademark Bad Operation sound, which can only be described as reggae-influenced New Orleans two-tone. The vocals are smooth and a little deep, with excellent backing vocals that fit so well you don’t always process that you’re hearing them. The horns are mostly texture instead of in your face, and often follow the vocal melody; throughout the album the bass lines are easy to pick up and follow as they walk you through the songs. “Chokehold” is such a great opening song: It’s uptempo, it establishes the album incredibly well, and it follows everything you want in a Bad Operation song.
At the lyrics “It’s alright to be alright,” about a minute into the song, we hear the horns for the first time, and they lay the foundation for the way the world “alright” stretches in and lets the keys take back over the rhythm. There are so many subtle things throughout the song that make it a masterpiece, including the final lyrics “All I know is that I don’t need. All I know is that I don’t need nothin’”. The lines are sung in the tone and rhythm used throughout the song, and these lines help establish an undercurrent of punk that may otherwise be missed. They are a clear play on the line “All I know is that I don’t know, all I know is that I don’t know nothing” from Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge”. The line establishes a familiarity, a tie-in to what is considered by many to be one of the greatest ska albums of all time. But it also establishes a distinction and evolution, in that the delivery is so much more refined and more reggae. It guides the listener to hear the album in a different light.
“Chokehold” flows into “Workin’ Real Hard To Let Go” perfectly, and the intro to the second song is about as punk as the album gets. The guitar and drums hitting at the same time as the keys come in a few seconds later feels almost like a more aggressive intro to Ruby Soho. I’m sure a part of this connection is only because my mind is primed to hear it given the final lines in the previous song, but that is my first impression. The keyboard in this song is reserved for the chorus, which allows the guitars to breathe a little more and take the musical lead. This is one of four prerelease singles, and every one of them is a standalone banger, but it really feels like Bad Operation doesn’t miss.
The third track is “Free Dom”, the first of the prerelease singles used to announce the album. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that most people consider this the best song on the album. It starts off a little funky, with the bass and drums leading in before the keys pop in. It’s another upbeat song with an outstanding progression; the bass remains thick throughout the song. Lyrically and thematically, it is exactly what I want. It’s a short two minutes of perfection, and if you’re not moving and singing along that all you ever wanted is a little freedom — or “free dom” — then you might be broken inside. However, I only argue that there is still a better song later on the album.
“Rico” starts off with guitars and trombone which feels very unusual. It also starts off unusually slow for a Bad Operation song, only to pick up tempo and become the catchiest and probably most upbeat song on the album. There is some solid call-and-response, and it’s just a damn good and catchy song with great lyrics. It also features a breakdown/bridge that just pulls you in.
My favorite song by far is “Simple Melody”. It’s crazy that this album has four incredible prerelease singles, yet the song I love the most wasn’t one of them. It just speaks to the depth of the album. A part of the reason it is my favorite might be because it is the most unique song on the album. It’s much slower than the rest, and it really pulls on the heartstrings. It has a little less of a ska and reggae vibe in general, and placing it in the middle of the album to break up the sound of the album is perfect.
The lyrics speak powerfully while not saying too much. “A simple melody for the kids to sing while the world is burning”. These are softly spoken — fittingly — over a simple melody. “Listen close to me; maybe I can ease your busy mind from worrying”. These words are so powerful, so simple, and bring me to tears. The drums join in after a full minute, but the song doesn’t pick up in tempo. The whoa-ohs are so melodic and emotional. I picture a darkened venue, lighters in the air, haunting vocals singing.
Then, a little over half way through the song, the music changes briefly, only the keyboard remains, and a pained voice, louder than any point in the song sings: “Don’t think about it, try not to think about everything”. The tempo picks up for the last third of the song, horns join in, and the backing vocals layer whoa-ohs behind vocals. As the song draws to a close, the drums drop down to a kicked thump-thump, mirroring a slow heartbeat. A prolonged held note lingers on the keyboard. A strained, broken vocal repeats the line “A simple melody for the kids to sing while the world is burning”. Perfection.
The second half of the album is every bit as good as the first half. There are no bad, uninteresting, or even mediocre songs on this album. I always have to check to see which songs were selected as singles, because damn near every song on its own would be reason enough to go buy the whole album. “OH NO” stands out because it has a little more horns than the rest of the album, and it adds in Jeremy Hunter and Emily Williams on trombone and saxophone respectively. But those horns don’t make the track or dominate it. “You Don’t Answer My Calls” is another track that I think may be the most catchy for some people and a frequent fan favorite. But as much as the second half of the album is full of great songs, there isn’t much I can say about them that is different from what I said about the songs in the first half.
There is absolutely no reason not to go out and purchase this album. Also, Bad Operation is on the Bad Time Records tour across the US this year. While the West Coast tour dates were in March, the East Coast dates are coming up in June, and the Midwest leg of the tour is in August. I bought my ticket for Chicago in August a few months ago, and I can’t wait to hear these songs played live. I hope I get to see some of you there.
Written by Gimp Leg
