rodeo7's Full Review: Keasbey Nights by Catch Twenty-Two
I just heard Catch 22 for the first time, about a month ago, and they have quickly become my favorite band. I am not normally one to have a “favorite band” or a “favorite song”, but somehow Catch 22 pulled it off.
Catch 22 is a New Jersey ska band, which was put together in 1996. Like traditional ska bands, they are made up of several members who sing, play guitar, bass guitar, drums and the all-important trombone, sax and trumpet. [These instruments, as well as playing the melody on the upbeat, help define the ska genre.] Unlike first generation ska, they are lacking in keys. I like the lack of keyboards. Their sound leans towards the punk side of ska with a modern pop flare.
Punk and hardcore definitively do not have very clean vocals. Catch 22’s vocals can get scratchy and harsh, but the lyrics and speed at which they are sung are amazing. It’s hard to hear what is being said sometimes, but once you figure it out, or go to their website to read the lyrics, you find that their songs actually have meaning to them. Substance to their music gives the band more depth unlike other punk and ska bands that sing about mundane topics like school, drinking and being delinquents.
In general, the music is clean and very professional. Through their upbeat songs and quickly sung lyrics, the band stays impressively tight. They play music you can dance to, sing along with, and put you in an incredibly good mood. Chant-like vocals are so catchy that you wish you knew what they were saying so you could sing along. (I’ve only learned a few songs so far, and I can’t stop singing them… especially the ones I learned to accompany the guitar with!)
One final quality that I feel is a great addition to this album is that the guys sound like they’re having fun. They cheer at the end of some songs and the last song, “1234 1234”, they each step up to the mic to thank people for the album and their success. A band that can stick together and have as much fun as these guys show it in their recordings as well as their live shows.
I know this album isn’t for everyone, but if you like ska, punk, hardcore or rock, it’s worth a listen. The album is full of energy and you feel it as you listen to it. Just don’t hurt your throat trying to sing along during those long car rides. (I did. Oops.) I love all the songs on this album, but I would recommend you to sample “Keasbey Nights”, “1234 1234”, and “On & On & On”. Those are my favorites.
Catch 22: Keasbey Nights
Dear Sergio
Sick and Sad
Keasbey Nights
Day In Day Out
Walking Away
Giving Up Giving In
On & On & On
Riding the Fourth Wave
This One Goes Out To
Supernothing
9mm and a Three Piece Suit
Kristina
As the Footsteps Die Out Forever
1234 1234
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