Bim Skala Bim – How’s It Goin’?
welcome back to the Skaject folks! today we’re looking at our next 1990 release, Bim Skala Bim’s How’s It Goin’?
the intro track, Wise Up, has an excellent rhythm and chorus. dig this song a LOT. Not In Anger’s intro reminds me a LOT of another song that i can’t quite place, but i also really dig this one. the guitar riff contrasts really nicely with the sax line. really strong start. Hypocrite’s got a solid, laid-back groove to it. Good Dog Ska is a very nice, mostly instrumental track. the dog samples did actually bug my dog though. For the Turnstiles is aight. I Took a Fall leans a bit hard in evoking island vibes – pretty successfully, but the chorus gets a bit repetitive in the back half of the song. In the Mall is a fun track about consumerism. the second version of Wise Up is a very slowed down, stretched out version. neat inclusion, not an improvement on the original for me. Blue has a fun horn riff on the chorus. Tell Me Tami’s solid. it builds into a neat bridge for sure. Start Again is another one i feel is a bit weaker in the verses. There’s a rock band that the chorus on Paraguayan Sun reminds me of that i also can’t place. either way, good track. Stand Up is another more laid back track. p solid. Apocalypso is an incredibly fun track. not huge on Fifty, the closer here.
faves – Wise Up, Not In Anger, Good Dog Ska, Paraguayan Sun, Apocalypso
dislikes –
i think this record gets right out the gate strong but loses its way a bit in the middle. definitely not the worst thing in the world, but there were definitely points where i was in it and engaged and other places where i could feel myself slipping. feels kinda dumb saying an album went on a bit long, but at 16 tracks i think there was potential to at least shift the sequencing a bit, haha.
that being said, there are some excellent mellower ska-rock grooves here – i dig myself a tad on the punkier side, but there is quite a bit to enjoy here.
How’s It Goin’? – 6/10
next week, we’re gonna look at a couple different short releases – our last 1990 release, Fishbone’s Set the Booty Up Right / Bonin’ In the Boneyard EP, then into 1991 for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Where’d You Go? and Mephiskapheles’ The DEMOn.
support the band by checking this release out on Bandcamp!
previous: スカパラ登場 (Skapara’s Intro) | next: Set the Booty Up Right / Bonin’ In the Boneyard EP
previous Bim Skala Bim record: Tuba City | next: Bones
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