Record Label: Do the Dog
Genre: Ska
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com

I was wondering what became of The Hotknives – now we know. Mick Clare, former frontman of the Hotknives has a new ska band called Squid 58! Not sure what the deal is with the band name, but I think they could have picked a better one.

The band hails from the Brighton and Cornwall cities in the United Kingdom. Squid58 originally released this album by themselves, but thanks to the wonderful ska label, Do the Dog, the band can now be heard by a wider audience. I certainly love getting ska releases from the UK and abroad because I just don’t hear too many good ska bands over here anymore. Though the American ska scene seems to be picking up again with new releases from Buck O Nine, Mustard Plug and the Pietasters.

Squid 58 have a similar sound to the Hotknives, minus the keyboards and overall poppy ska sound. The band is strictly a 4 piece but sound just as good as Mick’s former band. Most people won’t even be able to tell the difference. I’m wondering if some of these songs were meant for the Hotknives to play and Mick just used them for the new band? I think Squid 58 are good, but to me, it feels like something is still missing. It might just be something like some keyboards or a horn instrument that will make this band a lot better. Regardless, I still think you should check out some songs on their www.myspace.com/squid58 MySpace page and see if you like them. It’s from the former singer of the Hotknives – you gotta at least give this CD a listen!

Bottom Line: A good debut from the former singer of the Hotknives
Notable Tracks: Comfort of Strangers, Cruel to be Kind, Live Your Life Today
Overall Rating: