The Magic of Youth

iTunes Review

Like fried chicken and waffles, nobody expected third-wave ska and gargantuan heavy metal guitars to go so well together. With its ninth studio album, the Boston octet proves its music has the shelf life of a Twinkie. The first cut, “The Daylight,” opens on crunchy post-grunge guitar distortion, gang vocals, and wall-to-wall brass. That wide-angle horn section takes a more prominent role in the catchy “Like a Shotgun” before singer Dicky Barrett offers rough, whispery inflections in “Disappearing,” sounding a little like Social Distortion's Mike Ness. If you’re looking for more traditional ska rhythms, check out the upbeat “Sunday Afternoons on Wisdom Ave.,” which bounces with all the pick-it-up/pick-it-up gusto of early-'90s Orange County, Calif. Another album standout surfaces in “The Upper Hand,” a Clash-flavored number boasting stellar bass parts by Joe Gittleman.