The Interrupters - Fight The Good Fight

I admit that I have underestimated The Interrupters. I have underrated them as well in my reviews of their previous two albums - their self-titled debut and the sophomore "Say It Out Loud". Yet somehow this band makes you revisit their older studio efforts and all of a sudden you're like "Damn, that's fuckin' awesome!". But how much did The Interrupters actually improve on this one?

As soon as I heard the leading single "She's Kerosene", I knew their third album "Fight The Good Fight" would skank hard. The Interrupters may not be the most original band but boy, do they know how to make anthemic songs - hell, yeah they do! "She's Kerosene" hits it with frenetic vocals, bulldozing bass lines, sexy guitar shuffles and a simple but effective drumming. The possibility of not wanting to play this song, again and again, is zero.

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"Fight The Good Fight" finds the frontwoman Aimee and the three Bivona brothers on top of their game. Without a doubt, playing ska in 2018 doesn't seem profitable and it's completely out of fashion but if there's a group that could change the trends a bit, it is The Interrupters. With its newest record the Californian quartet makes you wonder if there could be a real "fourth ska wave" - a term, that has been an ongoing joke thanks to satire media The Hard Times.

"She's Kerosene" is arguably one of the best songs of 2018

As I'm writing this review, the FIFA World Cup is underway to the knockout stages so it makes perfect sense to blow out your speakers with the upbeat opener "Title Holder". Championing sports references and defying life struggles in the lyrics, The Interrupters go straight to their A-game as "A" stands for anthemic. This is just a glimpse of what to expect though. "Fight The Good Fight" doesn't hold any energy and the chance you will be listening to this standing/sitting still is very low.

It comes as no surprise that Rancid are here to help with the punkier "Got Each Other" and both bands give you the chills with their heartfelt interpretations of what friends and family mean. Billie Joe from Green Day (The Interrupters were a supporting act on their tour) co-wrote "Broken World" - another hymn with a boiling chorus.

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What makes this album rather exceptional, is that this band just got so much better at creating melodies. "Gave You Everything" is a great example with the some of the most memorable vocal harmonies a human can imagine. Aimee's voice settles perfectly among the male backing vocals but I have to give credit to the whole band making this a ska time traveling trip. "Not Personal" has the typical Operation Ivy vibe, "Leap Of Faith" sails back to the 2-tone era and the final track "Room With A View" shuts it down with a rock bang and surprisingly sweet guitar solo.

I said that The Interrupters made me revisited their older stuff and those two albums are also very good but this here is their masterpiece. "Fight The Good Fight" is what you need when you feel you're losing ground and you need something to hold on to. Trust me, this album will make you feel better even if you think you don't need to.

Listen if:

You like to "pick it up" and know how to skank

Need something fresher than Rancid but in the same vein

Recommendation Rate:

VERY HIGH