Artist: Sublime With Rome
Album: Yours Truly
Genre: Ska/Reggae/Punk

Sublime has a history you couldn’t fake if you tried. Having only released a handful of albums, one being vastly more successful than the others, their legacy has only grown since the death of founder and original vocalist Bradley James Nowell in 1996. Some contribute this meteoric rise to stoner culture’s growth in the public eye and others to the timeless feeling of their music, but regardless anyone’s opinion, they have become an undeniable institution in the music industry and one that many people hold very close to their heart.

Just like the Beatles or Elvis, people who love Sublime really love Sublime. They don’t simply enjoy the music, they make it the soundtrack to their lives and have probably worn out multiple copies of 40 Oz. To Freedom in their lifetime. They cherish this group like few even love music and it should come as no surprise that they, along with myself, were weary of the band reforming in recent years with new guitarist/vocalist Rome Ramirez.

Say what you will about the other member’s contributions, but this band embodied Bradley Nowell. The songs were his life to a more extreme extent than anything The Wonder Years or other modern acts have released and some of the instrumentation existed solely as a result of a childhood injury that allowed Nowell to stretch his hand further than most. This was his life put to music and the idea that someone else would step in, well over a decade after we had all said our goodbyes, (initially) felt very much like someone was trying to “cash in.”

Then I heard Yours Truly and realized I had been sadly mistaken this entire time.

Sublime was never about the members. Hell, it was barely even about the lyrics or the music. Sublime is about a sound, a feeling, an emotion that has never been matched or even challenged by another musical entity. Sure other bands tried blending punk, reggae, pop, and rock, but none have ever don so with the wit, delivery, and skill of Sublime and I think it’s that notion of “godliness” that lead many of us to doubt their return. I know I at least am guilty of playing the “no other vocalist” card and I’m sure many of you are as well. However, I can honestly say that Rome’s delivery works on a whole different and unique level with the music. It feels fresh and that is exactly what this band needed to be quote/unquote “born again.”

There will be those who claim Yours Truly is a disgrace or somehow a slap in the face of the Nowell family, but that is simply not true. Yours Truly is a welcomed second chapter two a legacy of sonic and emotional connection between a band and their fans. Yes it is different, but it is also very rooted in tradition.

Give it a spin. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Score: 8/10
Review written by: James Shotwell

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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