CD Reviews

Yet another local ska band abandoning the Holy Skank in search of something vastly more interesting? Almost, but they're not searching as energetically as you'd like. Seems that all the old ska outfits are going after the shimmery Weezer/Rentals power-pop sound now, and even Tazy Phyllipz's venerable Ska Parade radio show isn't exclusively ska anymore. So it's a bit disappointing when My Superhero fall back on their ska roots halfway through Station One's giddy pop textures, on tracks like "Know You Again" and "Best Days"—those too-familiar beats sound really, really stale and dated. Just the slightest hint of ska only pinpoints the album's other big shortcoming:you certainly expect more punch and crunch on anything produced by Thom Wilson, the guy who helmed a good chunk of classic OC punk records from bands like the Vandals, TSOL and the Offspring. On the whole, Station One is fairly predictable, ordinary stuff, and even the catchier tunes don't stick with you very long. A complete reinvention might have been a better move for the band, throwing out anything they laid down in the studio that even remotely smacked of ska. But My Superhero are much more convincing and tighter as a live band, anyway, where their edginess is in full effect. Still, they make great music with which to ward off evil Limp Bizkit fans.