I’ve been writing music reviews for a couple years now- almost exclusively ska music. I focus on a lot of unsigned or small-label bands, a lot of independent productions, and self-released music. One of my biggest joys is helping a small band connect with a new listener who has never heard of the band. However, today, I’m covering a band MUCH bigger than my normal review because today I have the pleasure of reviewing Fishbone’s newest album.
Fishbone first formed in 1979 and dropped their 8 full-length LP on June 27th. For the last 45 years, they have been writing and playing incredibly diverse and original blends of music. Fishbone has been playing ska since long before anyone considered naming a third wave of ska, before the days of ska punk, and they are still writing incredible and relevant songs today that expand their style. They take influences from ska, reggae, punk, and alternative music and occasionally blend in metal, but they often have heavy funk and soul influences. As the newest album, “Stockholm Syndrome,” kicks off, you can immediately pick up on some of the purest funk vibes. For 45 years, Fishbone has played whatever styles they want; they make it theirs, they own it without regard to what other bands are doing, and it continues to pay off with great, lasting music.
Fishbone also has a reputation for being relaxed and fun, but another part of their reputation is that they have always been very political and outspoken. Sadly, many of the issues they were singing about in the 1980s and 90s are just as relevant today. The problems and flaws in this country- and around the world- are every bit as bad today as they were 40 years ago.
In 1985, Fishbone released the song “Party At Ground Zero” about nuclear war and America sending kids off to fight wars all over the world. As I write this on June 23rd, the US has bombed Iran using their alleged nuclear program as a pretext, while we sell nuclear weapons to Israel and drop bombs on a half dozen countries around the world and sell bombs everywhere else. The lyrics may change, but sadly, the world doesn’t.
Stockholm Syndrome begins with “Last Call in America.” The funk vibes in this song are some of my favorite in the entire 46-year history of the band, but as good and as danceable as the rhythm is, it’s the lyrics that pull me in.
“It was a no knock warrant when they came to the door- six shots later she was dead on the floor. Now that don’t sound like Justice to me, take an innocent woman from her family”
The verse is clearly about Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police as she slept in her bed when they served a no-knock warrant in the middle of the night to her house while looking for someone who didn’t live there and who wasn’t suspected of being a violent criminal.
“Every day the story stays the same, and the guns keep firing and it’s always us that takes the blame- every day we’re dying”
This is such a damn good opening track to prepare you for the album. It’s Fishbone in the purest form. The sound is so unique; it feels at home in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and today, but musically and lyrically, unfortunately. The horns and keys definitely make the song stylistically. The horn solo is top-tier, with a nice bass line throughout and solid drums to carry the rhythm.
The second track is much faster, features great gang vocals, and so much chaos and entertainment while still danceable- if this was your first exposure to Fishbone, you’d be shocked at the diversity of the sound. The guitars in “Adolescent Regressive Behavior” are given the opportunity to shine throughout this track to further distinguish the song from the initial track, as they highlight their stylistic diversity.
While the entire album isn’t aggressively political, social commentary is definitely a major theme of the album, so I’m really going to dive into that aspect of the album. I’m a firm believer that you should use the soap box and microphone that you’ve been given to make a statement, and Fishbone absolutely excels here. “Secret Police” does such a damn good job talking about this issue, and it is so damn relevant it hurts to know that it’s written about something other than the current situation in America. Instead, it’s yet another reminder that these problems have always been here, and they aren’t going away unless we force major systemic change. “Secret Police” talks about a proud American bigot joining the secret police being deployed to a protest on the streets of America and killing a protester. When I first heard this song and the steady marching tempo of the drums, it was June 18th. Arturo Gamboa was detained in prison in Salt Lake City because a military veteran and veteran “peacekeeper” shot him while he was protesting, and the “peacekeeper” also killed a bystander. Despite knowing that Gamboa never shot a single round, he was held for the murder, as opposed to the actual shooter, whose name was kept secret to protect him, while they plastered Gamboa’s name and image all over the internet as a killer. ICE, the National Guard, and the US Marines had just been deployed to the streets of Los Angeles. Tear gas, rubber bullets, and riot shields were deployed against protesting Americans on our own streets. The song fit so perfectly but had been written years earlier about Kyle Rittenhouse, who got away with shooting and killing protestors years earlier. The secret police, armed racist white men, deployed to kill protestors with impunity, over and over and over. The drums to the song march on, constant, mirroring the reality referenced in the lyrics, continuous and unchanging.
“Why do we keep dying” is another stand-out song on the album, with a nice reggae rhythm and some damn fun guitar riffs that really stand out. The political message is less specific in this track, but the point is clear, and it’s just a damn good reggae song.
However, it’s the pre-release single that really grabs your attention. They originally released this song in November 2024- not coincidentally several days before the US election- titled Racist Piece of Shit. Deciding to forego the subtlety, this song is catchy, danceable, direct, and to the point.
“You’re not a proud boy; you’re just a fuck boy, drinking the Kool-aid of a Mad Orange king.”
When this song came out, Fishbone posted screenshots from “fans” telling them they liked them before they got political and to stay out of politics. Fishbone released “Subliminal Fascism” in 1987. Their messaging isn’t new. If you are suddenly offended by it, you’ve never been paying attention, and if you think Fishbone needs to stay out of politics- You’re just a Racist Piece of Shit.
There is so much more to this album than I covered here, but I think this captures my personal highlights from the album and expresses some of the beauty and diversity of the sound Fishbone brought with them here in 2025. The album is out now, so go give it a few streams and maybe pick up a copy.
Written by Gimp Leg
