Raw urgency and intricate musicianship set sail in a journey through Punk, Ska, and Reggae
Orange County Punk stalwarts Mad Tab have a new album out. Twenty years after they first got together, Dave Tab and Graham ‘Gram Tab’ are joined by Scott Beattie and Rob Wheeler to produce ‘alas… the bomb voyage!’; 17 songs that weave and flow through the influences that came before, and the filters and talents of the four musicians. It’s a voyage of changing sounds, styles, feeling and emotions that showcases Mad Tab as a group of musicians of skill, subtly and no little ambition. It’s also the first album release on Norwood Fisher (Fishbone)’s InnaNuttshell Reekordingz.
Opener ‘Gone’ works as a perfect introduction. Rolling drums, a bee drone of a bass, and a cutting guitar interweave to build the energy of the track. Understated vocals are supported with effectively used backing and harmony, and a perfectly positioned keyboard. A wonderfully distilled Pop Punk nugget in under two minutes (sometimes less is more and this track proves that).
A short burst of feedback and we’re off at a far more aggressive pace on ‘Animals’, a high-octane chunk of Punk energy. The drums take a pounding, the bass is raw and frenetic, and everyone gets a chance to shine. Vocally, it’s a hard-edge version of The Offspring, with an impressively long scream at the end. Two songs in and there is already a feeling that there are more twists and turns ahead…
Harmonic bass drives the opening of ‘Awake’, the first single release from ‘alas… the bomb voyage!’. A cry of “Lets fuckin go!!” and we’re off, fast, lively, passionate. ‘Awake’ really showcases the talents of the band as musicians (Individually and collectively). There’s a delicacy amongst the power of this song, subtle licks and moments that help show its scale, but for me, the standout is the roaming bass driving the song.
Ska Punk time! Stuttering guitar and organ lead us into ‘Loose Teeth’, a toe tappingly catchy number. Nice harmonies, with 1960’s keys in full effect, there’s a neat contrasting guitar break. ‘Loose Teeth’ is one of those songs that sounds familiar without sounding generic; a bouncy bit of fun.
A low-key opening that hints at the harder song to come gets ‘Stock Itch’ underway. Bass, understated drums, small, clipped keyboard, and a vocal that seems to strain against being held back. Forty seconds in and all hell is unleashed, with an early Eighties Punk feel, all power and anger, it is but a brief moment before we are back in the understated. This is a song of contrasts all working in wonderful harmony. Tempo, power and delivery all changing, nothing feels forced or done to be clever, a beautifully crafted song.
Raw, fast, and powerful, ‘Don’t Blink’ opens with a distorted guitar, held for five seconds, hinting at what the next 85 seconds have in store for you. The screamed anger of the vocal, the unrelenting tsunami of sound, machine gun drums. A chorus where the pace of the music refuses to relent whereas the vocal takes on a lighter, more melodic tone, an interesting contrast. If you want to get a sense of the musicianship on display here, it’s in the subtle additions, small details that add depth to the song.
‘Work n’ Pressure’ feels like a party, music that wants to have a good time! Lyrically. it’s a rant about the unfairness of working life, but the music just wants to grab you and take you around the room. A chorus underpinned by some old school piano seems designed to get you fully involved. This is a song that will leave you with a grin on your face at a gig. Fun.
We’re full throttle again on ‘Evil’, multiple vocals adding contrast and depth. It’s underpinned by that familiar technical ability of the musicians involved, again proving that speed and power don’t need to be created at the expense of musical depth.
‘Vans On My Feet’ gives Mad Tab another chance to change their musical direction. Angular guitars, a clunky beat, distorted vocals, and a dirty feel; it’s anger and posturing dripping in attitude. This gives way to an up-tempo, driven chorus; a contrast that really hits when it ends and you return to the music of the verse, which now has an almost uncomfortable feel to it as you focus harder on its many layers and contrasts. A clever track well executed.
‘All Live’ is Pop Punk on steroids, fast, melodic, catchy and energetic. This is a song that has a live rawness to it – bands can have a tendency to overindulge when recording, but that’s not the case here – you can feel the energy, it drags you along and consumes you.
We’re back to that Ska Punk sensibility once more in ‘The Process’, a song that shows its influences, but not in a way that feels like a copycat generic tribute. Mad Tab have too much talent to merely ape other bands, this is them, their sound, their direction. Another fine example of the various individuals offering depth and feeling to a song, nothing is too showy, nothing feels wasted. Good, honest feelgood music.
‘Good Boi’ slows things down with understated Reggae which feels relaxed. This is a classic bass-driven track, old school sounds with subtle keyboards, nothing overplayed, just the basics done well, played well, and delivered.
Beware bass drum abuse!! ‘Warrenza Skunk’ seems to be a release for all the energy saved on ‘Good Boi’; the angriest vocal so far, and raw, pure energy. Drums are played with such venom that there could have been multiple kits involved. A song that feels almost overwhelming in its intensity, assaulting the senses, it has an almost physical presence. Just as you adjust to what is happening, it ends, suddenly, like a door closing. The music may have stopped but it doesn’t leave you, it clings to you. Powerful stuff.
Another track, another change of direction. Mad Tab really don’t like doing things in an expected or predictable way! We’re back in the Ska world once more with the smooth, warm, embracing ‘When The Man Comes Around’. They do the feel-good stuff so well, music that makes you move, that pulls you in. A staccato vocal delivery on the verses seemingly feeds off the guitar lines, an interesting point of difference.
Before anyone gets too comfortable, it’s time for ‘Ghetto Byrd’. For a moment I thought I had skipped to a song by 1980’s legends Charged GBH, it has that same explosive energy and raw, untamed power. It’s a feeling that doesn’t leave the music on this track; there is a contrast vocally with a lot more variety and shift in delivery across the song. It’s a highly effective twist, making the song more impactful for the difference.
‘Windrush Empire’ is a five-minute history lesson. Recounting the experiences of the Windrush Generation, people from the Caribbean brought to England to help rebuild London after World War Two who were sold lies and falsehood before being abandoned and discarded. A shocking period, that still brings shame on the British Government. Musically, it’s a tribute to the sounds that Windrush brought to the UK which were absorbed by the open minded, and which have contributed so much to music worldwide ever since. A powerful, moving tribute, acknowledging the roots that helped influence Mad Tab, a standout track musically, lyrically, historically.
Almost to re-enforce the influence of Windrush, the album closes with ‘You Know Better’. It’s upbeat, stripped back, with no fancy effects or overproduction – just a group of friends hanging out and playing. There’s something wonderful in its simplicity, a real contrast to what has gone before. And that is a perfect summation of what Mad Tab are about; playing music that they like, playing it well, mixing things up, not fitting into any pigeonhole, and embracing anything that works for them.
‘alas… the bomb voyage!’ is a body of work that shows who and what Mad Tab are – a band of talented individuals that combine to deliver music of variety and depth, of passion and energy. It’s a fine body of work.
Out NOW, stream ‘alas… the bomb voyage!’ HERE
Main Photo Credit: DAVE ‘DAVE TAB’ MALYJUREK
- Gone
- Animals
- Awake
- Loose Teeth
- Stock Itch
- Don’t Blink
- Work n’ Pressure
- Evil
- Vans On My Feet
- All Live
- The Process
- Good Boi
- Warrenza Skunk
- When The Man Comes Around
- Ghetto Byrd
- Windrush Empire
- You Know Better
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Heavily influenced by an older brother, I discovered a love of music at an early age, initially with Punk but eventually with pretty much everything. I play guitar and bass to a very low standard and regularly ‘entertain’ my family and dogs with unwanted noise. I am usually found at the back of both gigs and football matches!
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