The Boro City Rollers have been around the local scene the last couple years mainly because the energy at their live shows extends through any crowd like the bolts of fire through the Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
January 30, 1998
But the true victory of this album is how the band, whether consciously or not, plays off the hard-core roots of ska.
If great ska music is characterized by heavy guitar, fervid brass, wild vocals and a danceable beat, then Stupid Side establishes the Rollers as a force to be reckoned with either in potential or dexterity. The pop chorus in Doug’s Song proves the former while the funky beat of Disco confirms the latter.
In the sexual slant of Gas Station or the emotion of the Paul Westerberg-style vocals of Gabriel Casey in Gumball, the Rollers keep what they do real.
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So, if you’re a ska fan or not, this album is honestly surprisingly to some strong. The album shows the Rollers have peaked or are just getting started, but, I guess, that answer lies with them.
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