Artist: Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Album: The Magic Of Youth
Genre: Ska
Label: Big Rig

At this point, it’s pretty well documented that I’m not the world’s biggest ska fan, that’s not any fault on ska itself, it’s just a personal choice, and one that I happen to be fairly adamant about. That said though, I’m not close-minded enough to discount any ska album before I give it a shot, I always go into it hoping to be surprised, I always hope that I manage to find something that I’ve been missing, something that makes this genre so appealing to so many people, because at this point, I just don’t understand why I don’t get it, and I’d really like to understand the appeal. Of course, this doesn’t usually end up happening, and when it does, it’s usually just a lightly veiled punk album, layered with a couple occasional horn parts, and played off as a ska album, hardly the real thing. But I have hope every time I come across one of the hard-hitters of the genre. Like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who have cemented their name as a legend in the ska community, and so I can only imagine they would be a good ambassador to the scene, maybe they can give me the proper introduction I’ve been looking for since I stumbled across ska many years ago. And so, with their new album, The Magic Of Youth they were on deck to attempt to finally win me over, and show me what not only they were all about, but what ska in general was all about. Some would consider me to be a lost cause, and I wouldn’t blame them for thinking that, but The Bosstones have always been a bit grittier than the average ska band, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s the perfect way to win me over.

But I have to say, I feel like the whole “-core” thing is a bit unnecessary, nor am I entirely convinced the “ska-core” name given to The Bosstones is a real thing, but then again, I suppose these days “-core” can be slapped on just about anything, not that it makes it alright. But I’m not here to debate genre labels though, that’s what music forums are for. And besides, I seem to have found where the allure of ska has been hiding. Now I’m just not sure why it took me so long to find it, but regardless, The Magic Of Youth has more of a spirit of actually punk rock than most other ska bands, which just seem to be the project of some kids that were bored with their school marching band. And what The Bosstones embody with this new release is what ska should really be about, in my mind anyway; the spirit of punk, with the folksy addition of some tasteful brass instrumentation, injecting some soulful flavor to the overall sound. And that’s precisely how The Bosstones present themselves with this album. The Bosstones flawlessly combine that folky flavor of ska through songs like “Like A Shotgun”, with a more punk, and at times old school hardcore style through the driving rhythm lines in songs like “The Daylights”, which is really a perfect marriage, as odd as it may seem. It’s difficult to execute, but when some true experts can pull it off, it sounds like the two styles belonged together from the start.

Of course, it is important to point out, obvious as it may be, that my personal musical opinion and tastes are completely irrelevant when it comes to how good this album really is. But it does help illustrate how far reaching and appealing it is; all the far reaches of punk can find something to agree upon in The Magic Of Youth. The ska guys will obviously love it, the punk guys will get into it as well, and even the old hardcore guys will find something they enjoy. Myself included. I think ska finally makes sense to me now, even if it’s just a small portion of it, and as predicted, it took a truly fantastic album to convey that, and that is just what The Bosstones have delivered with this newest effort. And while it certainly makes sense that a band that has been around for nearly 30 years have become legends within the genre, bands usually lose their touch long before they have a chance to reach that point. And considering that this is their second album since re-forming after a four year hiatus in 2007, the fact that this album is so good is just as staggering as the fact that The Bosstones as a whole are still so good, but thankfully that spark is still there.

SCORE: 9/10
Reviewed by: Mike Hogan

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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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