Streetlight Manifesto - Keasbey Nights

Considering that Streetlight Manifesto's debut album Everything Goes Numb is still selling extremely well for a genre that seems to be dying more year after year, it might surprise some casual fans that this release isn't even new material. To make a somewhat short story even shorter: After releasing Keasbey Nights (1998), one of the most successful ska/punk hybrid albums of the 90's, Catch 22 collapsed due to inner turmoil--half the band forged on with the same name but with less appeal; the other eventually formed Streetlight Manifesto, including principal songwriter Tomas Kalnoky. The past couple of years predicted the release of this album, though some reports concluded that the re-recorded classic would be a child of both bands, which obviously it is not. To sum up the original Keasbey Nights--it's one of the catchiest and smartest records begat by the third wave of ska, played by a bunch of fun-lovin' New Jersey guys who fused the energy of punk with ska music probably moreso than any of their peers. At least, no one else really does it or did it this fast or made it as engaging. Keasbey Nights as performed by Streetlight Manifesto is largely identical to the original, though the vocals aren't as rough and are certainly more easily discernible. The re-recording obviously means it's going to sound a little different, and apparently there were some aspects of the original that Kalnoky wasn't entirely pleased with on the studio end of things. Brass sections are improved upon, as eight years typically does improve a musician, and a few other things might not line up with the Catch 22 version, but it's essentially the same record. If you never hankered an obsession for the first Keasbey Nights, chances are you wouldn't even realize that this one isn't the 1998 version. A classic as far as the genre is concerned, Keasbey Nights is essential listening for anyone still skanking around, but it's not necessarily a record that transcends its style to be embraced by a variety of people. It's not Operation Ivy, but it's not far behind. [www.streetlightmanifesto.com]