welcome back to the Skaject folks! this week we’re looking at the second record from The Selecter, Celebrate the Bullet

first track here is (Who Likes) Facing Situations, and it’s p good. Deep Water always takes me a second to warm up to be i’m a fan of this one. Red Reflections is a surprisingly catchy track – i’m about this one as well. Tell Me What’s Wrong is just aight. some fun if simple guitar work on this one tho. to me, Bombscare is def the most new-wave-y of the tracks here – this one feels like it outstays its welcome, even at 3 minutes. Washed Up and Left For Dead is a dubbier track, and i do kinda enjoy what they’re laying down here. while researching a bit more about this record, i found out the title track here was also the lead single, and it coincided with the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. this is a very neat track. not quite my style but unlike some of the other tracks so far i think it’s a good track and i can see why it’s got fans out there. Selling Out Your Future is mellower track musing on then current culture – kinda rough viewing this track from the future that got sold out, ngl. after several mellower tracks, Cool Blue Lady has a really neat opening, haha. i do enjoy this track, even if the electric guitar is incorporated into the mix kinda awkwardly. there is some really fun stuff going on in the mix in the bass track of Their Dream Goes On. extremely neat. Bristol and Miami commemorates the 1980 riots in, well, Bristol and Miami. i really like this one – steady beat, p good vocals, and good lyrics, what’s not to love.

faves – Deep Water, Red Reflections, Bristol and Miami
dislikes –

man it really feels like The Selecter did the same thing the Specials did on More Specials, branching out a bit in style and presentation – and unfortunately i’m reacting about the same here. cool to see them experimenting, but there’s chunks of this record that do not land for me at all, and i had a bit of a hard time getting through it. i really do like the thematic material on the record, and its a shame i’m not into it more musically.

Celebrate the Bullet – 3/10

alrighty, next week we’ll be looking at The English Beat’s 1981 record, Wha’ppen?


previous: Loonee Tunes | next: Wha’ppen?

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