In the realm of ska-core, somewhere between Stuck Lucky and The Write Ups, where hardcore is often more of a descriptor than ska, where horns fill in the riffs, where upstrokes are often optional, where anger and aggression are mandatory, and where messaging is paramount, Salt Lake City’s Never Donts stake their claim.
Never Dont Party begins with a heavy, distorted guitar; drums and horns join in unison, matching the rhythm and aggression as the lead song “Working Class Panic” kicks in. Like many songs on the album, the intro track is dominated by vocal aggression and themes of class awakening. While “Working Class Panic” doesn’t specifically mention AI, it centers on the question posed in the first line of the song: “What will we eat when our labor is obsolete?” When our corporate overlords no longer need our labor to generate their wealth, when our policies have rendered our existence redundant, where do we turn? Aside from the lyrics, another highlight of the song is the punchy horn riff halfway through the song — a dun-dun duh-dun, dun dun duh-dun — that really pops. As the song ends, the horn line returns, but this time it’s accompanied by a vocal chorus singing along with the horn line.
The second track, “Bridge Builders,” features two of my favorite themes when it comes to political music. Songs of resistance can’t just be about revolution, anger, and voicing complaints in a broken system. Yes, it is always imperative to identify problems and offer what standards you demand, but it’s also important to build community. “Bridge Builders” focuses heavily on this and other concepts: Having fun, dancing, love, and joy. If we want a world where everyone is valued and free, if we want a world where we can pursue our dreams and live without exploitation, we have to make sure our struggle includes joy. Do the things you love.
The final instrumental breakdown in this song is a lot of fun: While the percussion plays a large part in it, the drums are mostly removed. The guitars and horns take precedence over a clap-like beat, and the horn melody really shines. Somehow, the melody fits really well in the song, where it integrates almost seamlessly, but it is also so starkly different from the rest of the song that I can’t help smiling when I hear it.
One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Rebel in Me”. It’s a fast punk/hardcore song. There are no ska elements. There aren’t even horns in this one. The mix is great. The guitar work is the best on the album, in my opinion. At times, it feels a little intentionally discomforting, but then there is a mid-song breakdown where the guitars and drums come in cleaner and faster. A line from the chorus repeated on its own hits really hard: “I’d rather be a free man in my grave than live as a puppet or a slave”. It’s the perfect response to the modern American mantra of “He should have complied” or “They should do it the right way”. This is the perfect fuck you to “Back the blue”.
“Adult Anarchist” is the first real ska song on the album, and in my opinion, musically the best. The rhythm flows really well, the hooks carry forward, and the vocals fit the song better than anywhere else on the album. “Cryptoids” follows immediately after as another ska song, but also is the first song that is just pure fun: A song about cryptids that has a great ska core breakdown and fun, quick-finger guitar solo. Suddenly, the whole texture of the album changes.
A few tracks later, “Decay” returns to a darker, more aggressive tone, but keeps up more of the ska elements. The song seems to describe a government raid, either from police, ICE, or ATF, but it doesn’t matter. The point is that you’re never safe, even in the safety of your home. Divide and conquer: Whether you’re on the outside now or not, they will come for you. Society will decay. The only question is whether you will go down fighting. When they kick in your door, will you put your hands over your head and be led away in cuffs, or will your finger be on a trigger when your time is up? Maybe that’s just my interpretation of the lyrics.
Near the end of the album, we get “Ice Melt”, a wonderful song about glaciers and the end of the last ice age… Oh, wait, that’s my notes for something else completely. No, this “Ice Melt” features the chorus “You used to say don’t tread on me, now police have full immunity”. I’m not sure what ice melt has to do with Walmart brand Gestapo, but I really like the saxophone at the end of the song. Anyway, fuck ICE, always and forever, borders are fake, and ACAB.
Earlier, I said one of my favorite songs is “Rebel in Me”. My favorite track is “We Are Germs”. It has some similar themes, it’s both enlightening and optimistic, and it features some great ska-core riffs.
“Dancing with my Friends” almost reminds me of a Sad Snack song, which is quite the compliment, since I love Sad Snack. But the real treat on the album was saved for the end of the album: “Secrets of the Ooze”. It’s a fucking ska punk riff about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, borrowing from the cartoon theme song. If you are going to a show and the Never Donts are opening and you’ve never heard the band before, this is the song that is getting you on your feet and on the dance floor.
This is a rare album that I think just gets better and better as the album goes on, where the second half outshines the first half. You’ll definitely want to check out Never Dont Panic below.
Written by Gimp Leg
