Rx Bandits

Halfway Between Here and There (1999)

fathead

To me, Ska is like whisky. When used in moderation, you can get crazy, feel wonderful, and have a downright blast. But, if overdone, it can leave you pissed off, violent, and puking off the back porch of your girlfriend's house with a sprained ankle and a black eye.

This Rx Bandits release follows suit. There are some good songs, but there are some bad ones as well. "ten seconds never seemed so long" is a very cathcy up beat ska song with blissful horns and a cool guitar solo. "Gun in Your hand" is a good reggae-ish song that sound almost identical to every Sublime song ever. "This time", "Lost", and "Walk Away" are all good ska songs in their own right, but the bad part of Rx Bandits pokes through when they try place punk along side of their ska. They just don't do it very well. I will say that Chris Tsagakis is an excellent drummer, which is something most ska/punk bands lack.

So, if you listen (and drink) with the appropriate dosage, you can have a good time with this disk. Don't overdo it though, you'll regret it in the morning.