Big D and the Kids Table – “Stomp”
Album Reviews | Jun 17th, 2013
Record Label: Strictly Rude Records
Genre: Ska Punk
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With the help of the fans via a Kickstarter campaign, Big D and the Kids Table were able to round up some dough to release not one but two brand new albums simultaneously. The first album, “Stomp” harkens back to the “Good Luck” era and the sound of the late 90’s ska punk glory days. The second album titled “Stroll” picks up where “Fluent In Stroll” left off with a different sound from the Boston boys that that simply call just that…stroll. Since these are dual albums, I’m going to review both individually. This is what I think of “Stomp”.
With “Stomp” you get a collection of some classic skankable ska punk songs that really reminds me of Big D’s first release “Good Luck”. With the few albums that followed that there was a decent mix of ska, punk and hardcore and over time they began to sprinkle in some slower trad ska and reggae influenced tunes. “Stomp” provides you with the much faster stuff of old, but with the experience of a band that have become veterans of the ska punk scene. Songs like “Stepping Out”, “Shit Tattoos” and “Pitch ‘n Sway” are fast and full of energy while a two tone influence bubbles to the top with songs like “Don’t Compare Me To You” and “Dirty Daniel”.
The thing that I enjoy most on “Stomp” is also the same thing that somewhat hurts the album. Like I mentioned before, the album is full of high energy songs that are faster than a lot of songs from the more recent Big D library, but some of the songs end up sounding like run ons into the next track. I feel that a lot of people won’t be able to distinguish one song from the next during certain stretches of “Stomp”. Maybe it’s more of a tracking issue and on the other hand I know of people that don’t like a slower song to break up a batch of faster songs. You can’t please everyone.
While I thoroughly enjoyed “Stomp” I’ve become a fan of their more modern sound that is steeped more two tone, traditional ska and their stroll stuff. “Stomp” was a great flashback to the early days of Big D and the Kids Table where they were relegated to riling up a mosh pit under a 4×6 tent on the Warped Tour and playing as loud and as fast as they possibly could. Nowadays I prefer to “stroll” over to the old fogies tent and sip me some free Yoo-Hoo!
Bottom Line: “Stomp” is a “Good Luck/How It Goes” era sounding album that picks up the pace and takes you for one hell of a wild ska punk ride.
Notable Tracks: Pinball, Don’t Compare Me To You, Line Selector, Shit Tattoos
Overall Rating:
