The Slackers are a band one should blaze to. It is as simple as that. If you are a punk rocker, like myself, this music may seem too laidback and boring, but put a J in my hand and damn, this shit, all of a sudden, starts to rock.
The Slackers new album, Self Medication is good, not great. If you really want a history of the band, you can get it at their Wikipedia page. To be honest, I have only probably listened to 30 songs by the Slackers throughout my entire life, so I am not the go-to guy for a comparative review, though I will try to give you a thorough overview.
Self Medication starts out with "Everyday Is Sunday." This song is a jam and a half. After "Everyday Is Sunday" is an OK song with a dumb chorus titled, "Don't You Want a Man."
This is followed by "Don't Forget the Streets." This song is an ode to working class/normal folk who just get by day to day. The band talks about sticking together and getting along, and this is a sentiment I can get behind. Wouldn't the world be better if everyone just got along? "Don't Forget the Streets" is probably my favorite song on the album, my favorite line being "Some folks see a reason and some folks see a plan. And some say that their faith can't fill what they don't understand, but to hell with you and the drama and the fight of right or wrong, I'm just waiting for the day that I won't be hear to see what's going on." Whether you agree with the lyrics or not, you have to admit they're interesting.
The next few songs are sort of boring in my opinion. The next standout song is the song "Eviction." It shows the roots side of the Slackers. That trademark 'sound of the Caribbean' vibe is thrown at you hard. The steel drum sound and the saxophone solo provoke one to get up and just step with it. "Happy Song" is next and should definitely put a smile on your face -- two-tone ska to the max. Next is the song "Self Medication." It's boring; we'll leave it at that. After "Self Medication" is "Don't Have To," which is interesting. It is sort of an old-school `50s-style rock'n'roll Chuck Berry-esque song. The final song on the album is "Sing Your Song," which is classic Slackers (just my opinion from what I know of the band). The song is a straight mixture of politics and love with the laid-back feel.
To conclude, the Slackers are definitely a diverse group who make diverse music. They talk about politics/love/life and a bunch of other topics and they rule. Check out Self Medication if you like ska/reggae or just good music. I'm NotPatriotic and this is my review. Call me if you want to blaze one up.