Sublime – Sublime
welcome back to the Skaject folks! this week, we’re listening to 1996’s Sublime, the final record put out by Sublime.
Sublime’s self-titled record was the last album put out by the band that had Bradley Nowell (i believe theyve had some revival attempts, but never as “Sublime”, always with modifiers), as he passed away from an overdose between recording and release, and i know that hangs heavy over the record.
and, true to form on previous releases, they show a huge range of style here – tracks like Wrong Way are upbeat ska songs, but theyve got plenty of reggae here (Jailhouse is a cover of the Bob Marley and the Wailers track that mixes in a song from Tenor Saw) some rap influences, some dub and just rock sounds, even some surf sounds on Paddle Out, all kinds of tracks, and it makes for a neat and varied package. sometimes it even shows up across a single track, like Seed, which shifts a lot over its runtime.
the hits here, namely What I Got (which i did not know borrowed its chorus from a song called “Loving” by Half Pint, a reggae artist) and Santeria, i think are hits for a reason and i dont have much to contribute to the conversation around them. i did really appreciate the small What I Got reprise near the end of the record though, haha.
one of the things that i think is compelling about Sublike generally but this album in particular is Nowell’s extremely open writing style, and his willingness to write about difficult topics. Wrong Way, for example, is a track about the singer attempting to liberate a child prostitute after sleeping with her – the whole time tacitly acknowledging that the whole situation is fucked, but trying to explore this guy’s POV. it makes me wonder, for example, if the character is being honest when he attributes the girl’s escape from him is her desire to return to that life, or if his attempt to help wasn’t fully genuine! its complex and nuanced, and the song itself is incredible catchy. April 29, 1992, is a song about the 1992 LA riots, and the band’s participation in looting at the time.
on the whole, i definitely see why this record has the reputation it has – its a fairly good listen, but doesnt quite land for me personally as a full record.
faves – What I Got, Wrong Way, Santeria, Burritos
dislikes –
Sublime – 7/10
previous: The Return of the Aquabats | next: Turn the Radio Off
previous Sublime release: Robbin’ the Hood | this is the final Sublime release
Discussion ¬