Gadjits

It seems like there are two themes going on here. One from guitarist/vox Brandon Phillips who seems to have recently been given the boot by his women. And the second from bassist/vox Zach Phillips who has typical “getting your shit together” issues. Opening with a Specials sound, the Gadjits new album has gone the opposite way of new ska. Instead of turning more pop-oriented, the Gadjits have a more traditional ska sound, yet keeping those keyboards intact. Hard to imagine they can have such a full, ambitious sound with only three guys and a girl. Their songs are personalised by the use of their own names. Not a bad idea if it ever goes gold — not likely with these guys though, which is not an insult to this recording. In fact, it’s a compliment to it’s simple candidness. Montreal gets a shout out in “Angel and the Devil,” an anti-drug ditty, while songs like “Thinkin’Bout You” give the feeling of a Club Med, Caribbean resort, end-of-the-night bar beat. For that depressed looser who recently got his ass dumped and couldn’t hook-up. It is completed by a basic rock-out tune “Cleveland, Ohio” and a song dissin’ Jenny Jones. That’s what we like to see.