Reviewed on Sep 16, 2007 by Tom

The wait has been long for another Mustard Plug album, their last one dating back from 2002 already, and for a ska-crazed fan like me, who grew up listening to “Evildoers Beware” for days on end, that sure is a long time, especially since “Yellow #5” wasn’t really up to delivering the goods as well as one might expect from such an established act …

This new record from the ska-punk veterans is one worthy of the fond memories I have that date back to the mid-nineties, the Michigan based band playing a very vivid and entertaining set at the Lintfabrik for my first ever concert experience. “In Black And White”, as the title suggests, is a celebration of those times, what with the band returning to their ska-punk roots of yonder. The big difference with the pretty lifeless “Yellow #5” seems to be that Mustard Plug have re-found their enthusiasm in the genre, as overall the band seem very hungry to bring their fun-infested tunes to the listener. Both in terms of lyrical content and musical approach, the bands 6th full length is more heavy than those gimmicky, silly skapunk tunes from early on in their careers, but then a bit of maturity is expected for a band that has been going for more than 15 years, and it only strengthens the listening experience as a whole. And still, this is perhaps the most old-school sounding third wave-y skapunk album I’ve heard this past decade. “Who Benefits” is a punky cruncher, while gruffy “Over The Edge” and “Life Is Too Short” remind heavily of the bands early years. There’s plenty of funky singalong tunes, like the undeniable “Hit Me, Hit Me!”, “On and On”, “Something New” and the ridiculously catchy “Real Rat Bastard”, but I like the more darker and heavy-hitting tunes like “Time To Wake Up”, “Copasetic”, “Puddle Of Blood” and “You Can’t Go Back” most of all. It’s great to see a band that doesn’t forsake its roots while fine-tuning their sound and delivering a mighty fine album full of fresh and skank-worthy tunes after being stuck in the refrigerator for so long. “In Black And White” is nothing short of a horn-filled, heart-warming chunk of concrete-solid fun.

In an era where ska seems to be making a comeback, with Big D releasing a sensational album, Buck O Nine returning from the dead with a kicker, Reel Big Fish still dishing out their delightful concoctions, and now Dave and the gang re-kindling the fire, “In Black And White” is a welcome and indispensable addition to any fan of the ska-punk genre’s collection. Best polish up them dancing shoes first though … It’s going to be one tough job picking the ska-album of the year …

Related Links:

• www.mustardplug.com

1. Who Benefits?
2. Over the Edge
3. Hit Me! Hit Me!
4. Time To Wake Up
5. Something New
6. You Can't Go Back
7. Life is Too Short
8. Copasetic
9. On and On
10. Tell Me
11. Puddle of Blood
12. Real Rat Bastard
13. What You Say

Album Reviews

	In Black And White Sep 11, 2007
	Masterpieces: 1991-2002 Sep 6, 2005

Interviews

Dec 8, 2007