Catch 22 - Keasbey Nights

Third-Wave Ska At Its Best

Keasbey Nights was released in 1998 on Victory records by a little-known band from New Jersey. But since then, the CD has grown to represent the entire third-wave ska movement. After giving it a listen, I'd say its reputation is definitely justified. While the band has made several lineup changes and style changes since then, this album lives on.

This CD was a high-energy, high-volume, super-fast joyride from the moment I turned it on to the moment the last track ended. The whole time, I kept waiting to see what would happen next. If nothing else, it always kept me on my toes.

Filled with manic guitar rhythms and bouncy horn melodies, this CD is nonstop action. It's no wonder many call it the best third-wave ska album ever made. It's not the best in my opinion, but it's in the top three. The best way to describe it is a musical sugar high without the bad aftereffects. I have no trouble saying that I have played this CD alone in my room and simply jumped around because it was so full of energy.

While the tone of the CD is always upbeat, there are moments where the band does change styles. While frontman Tomas Kalnoky is known for his fast vocals and manic writing style, a few songs go off on different tangents. "Walking Away" is a departure from typical third-wave ska songs in that it has a swing feel to it. I think it hints at jazz and swing while maintaining Catch-22's ska-punk style. Similarly, "Kristina" is not a radical departure from Kalnoky's style, but it definitely slows things down a bit. I got a hint of his softer side, but the song still maintained his personality.

As a ska-punk band, Catch-22 also shows a bit of their punk side. The song "Giving Up Giving In" is just everyone playing their instruments as fast as they can. To me, it's still entertaining and I like to see that side of the group.

The instrumental, titled "Riding the Fourth Wave," is a fun piece where pretty much every brass instrument gets a solo. When this CD was released, the band consisted of a trombone, trumpet, and saxophone in addition to all the traditional rock instruments with one exception. The bass player used a fretless bass, which gives the songs a certain feel that few ska bands can match. It definitely stuck out to me in "Walking Away."

Another thing that makes this CD so neat is the way it ends. After the last song plays, the beat and bass line keep playing and all the band members do all their special thanks on the CD. They just recorded and started talking and it wasn't always perfect, which made it funny.

All in all, this CD is definitely worth whatever money you pay for it. It's probably hard to find in places other than used bookstores or on the internet, but if at all possible, I think everyone should get their hands on it. November 10, 2008

Honest and brilliant

It's tough to be a fan of ska music. On the one hand there are the critics, who rip the party-fueled genre of ska -- a term for a brassy, syncopated, hooky style of music -- as inane and insubstantial. On the other hand, there are the hardcore "skanks" who will overwhelm you and scare you away from the genre with their near-violent dedication and appreciation. Especially if you see them at a concert.

And yet, trapped between these two extremes are a few really good bands and albums. Good, heartfelt, powerful music is universal. Regardless of your views towards the genre, there is some ska that should earn your respect on its own terms.

Catch 22's debut, Keasbey Nights, is an example of music that you should not judge based on the movement it is a part of, but as a collection of excellent songs presented with tremendous impact. Give the album a chance, a few listens, and you'll find a mesmerizing, brilliant album.

From beginning to end, Keasbey Nights is a provoking look at troubled adolescence. Tomas Kalnoky, the primary songwriter on the album, comes across as a bright, articulate kid who tries to understand why he's depressed. From this theme springs violence, loneliness, bitterness, vulnerability, and more. But most important is that each song is an earnest bit of perspective into his world and his mind.

To back up this lyrical introspection is instantly memorable music. The band has no hesitation to layer catchy hook upon catchy hook. There is no inhibition and self-consciousness; you can tell each member of the band puts their all into every song. And yet, each song is paced and planned carefully. Once the groundwork is laid, the band goes nuts with it. The fast and loud parts are relentless, the slow and quiet parts are tender.

None of this is possible, though, if the album doesn't provide the songs to back up the concept. Fortunately, this is another area that Keasbey Nights shines: nearly every track is a small masterpiece of brutal honesty and a high-energy fusion of ska, punk, and jazz. The title track is the most famous track, and reasonably so. The contemplation of self-inflicted violence has a chorus that will be in your head for months. Nothing is filler, though: Supernothing is masterful self-deprecation, Riding the Fourth Wave is a nice improvisation number, Day In Day Out is bitter cry of independence, etc.

The real cornerstone of the album is the final track, "1234 1234." A line like "There's more to you, there's more to life, there's more than meets the eye" might feel cliche on a lesser album. With the thirteen tracks that precede it, though, it's instead an insight. Furthermore, the riff from "1234 1234 is emblematic of the irresistible hooks that fill this album and features some of the best drumming you'll ever hear.

If you insist upon viewing the album through genres, you'll see that it's based in ska and punk, with influences of jazz. This variety works well: the sound is never as grating and repetitive as punk, nor as mellow and subdued as the old reggae style of ska. The solos, while solid, are not necessarily virtuosic, but give a professional and improvisational feel to the album that really balances the pace of the songs.

Ultimately, the pieces of Keasbey Night come together to form an outstanding album. Good music needs an emotional core to give it substance, and heartfelt lyrics need strong music to make them memorable. Keasbey Nights tackles both of these dilemmas with skill and with honesty. July 3, 2008

pretty good CD

There's some really good songs on this CD that make me still keep it around but some of the songs on this CD are really boring too. February 6, 2008

BEST SKA ALBUM OF ALL TIME!

"Keasby nights" is classic. Everyone's gotta love this album. It rules! Every song is great! If you even remotely like ska, get this! December 16, 2006

amazing

If Catch-22's "Keasbey Nights" was sex, it would cause a huge orgasm. Not only is this the greatest ska album made in the last 10 years (if not more), but it even qualifies for one of the best rock albums mad in the past 10 years. It mixes fast punk, horns, reggea, dub, and just about everything else to make a great mix of greatness. If I could give it a million stars, I would.
The thing that a lot of people don't understand is that it isn't supposed to sound mainstream and perfect. It was made by a bunch of guys who were bored and liked fast music. They went to a crappy studio and put out an AMAZING record, and now they're a famous band within their niche of the music market.
Ska is an aquired taste, and one who likes ska must like Catch-22's "Keasbey Nights" fore it defines what music should sound like today!!
:) July 10, 2006

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