The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Let’s Face It (Mercury)
by Andy Tessier

The bad boys of Boston are back with their heads held high and dynamic sounds reminescent of their debut effort. Let’s Face It by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones quite simply could put these ska-core pioneers into the limelight for a longer amount of time than their brief jaunt with the Lollapalooza tour or their commercial with Converse All-Stars. With the debut single, “The Impression That I Get,” in heavy rotation on MTV it wouldn’t be a shock for these boys to go all the way. And to no one’s surprise either. Their latest album reflects all the melody of their first two records and then some. Songs like “Noise Brigade,” “The Rascal King,” and “Royal Oil” have a super-ska feel with a prominent upbeat guitar and catchy horn lines. Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade, both of whom mixed and produced the first album, came back to do this one as welland it shows. The last few albums by the MMB have showcased a very hard sound which was shunned by some fans as a sign of their “selling-out.” This is not the case whatsoever, as this album continues in the tradition and variety of the Bosstones. But fear not, guitar lovers, tracks such as “Break So Easily” and “Nevermind Me” feature the strong guitar of Nate Albert, which can be attributed to Mr. Kolderie’s ever-changing style in mixing the Bosstones. The most pleasant surprise on this album, however, comes from Dicky Barrett himself, whose extremely deep and well-defined voice complements their sound well. On Let’s Face It, Barrett’s voice is clean and, instead of jumping around the chorus, he actually sings. Bosstone die-hards are in for a treat with this album. The new kids? Let’s just say it’s about time you recognized this band! The Bosstones have been in the studio and on the road for years, and are finally getting the attention they deserve.