Spring Heeled Jack

Static World View (Moon)
by Grant Thayer

Long-anticipated by fans who know what fun, energy-packed shows they put on, Spring Heeled Jack‘s debut CD contains 14 songs and comes with lyrics (always a plus). These boys from Connecticut play some incredible, fast, third wave ska that I’m still trying to describe. The best I can do is name a couple songs and what bands they remind ME of, so here goes: “All My Own” (Mighty Mighty Bosstones), “Nervous” (Pietasters), “Peg Leg Bates” (Madness), “Pay Some Dues” (Buck-o-Nine, Mudsharks). It also has everything from skacore elements to the funk-fired instrumental “Rugfus Shakeedoo.” My favorite tunes are “Pay Some Dues,” with its cool tempo changes and killer horns, and “Addicted” (much better than the version on Moon’s Skarmageddon compilation) with cleaner-sounding guitar, crisp horns, sharp vocals, and a driving bass. Definitely one of the best new ska albums out there.