The Delgates - www.thedelegates.org
The Diary Of Hamilton Fish (released 2006)
Duble Plus Music - www.dubleplus.org
Ska-punk influenced band The Delegates, have put together a fine album that is rocking, dancable and most importanly for the cheapskates out there, free. That's right, free. The album is/was available from the website www.dubleplus.org. The band had hoped that providing the album for free would encourage downloaders to instead drop the money they would have spent on the album, on a worthy cause instead. The recommended cause is for the Nata Village. A small village in Africa, with the second highest per capaita rate of HIV, in all of Africa. Every dollar earned from the release of the album "The Diary Of Hamilton Fish", will be donated to this worthy cause. Once past that, the band has put together a great album for their sophomore release. The thirteen track disc is chock full of tunes that while ska laced, aren't overly ska to the point of disturbingly overwhlming horns and organs. Instead the band keeps things managable and pleasurable with a steady beat and catchy lyrical style, the vocals hop just as much as the guitars do on this album. Interestingly, "The Diary Of Hamilton Fish" is something of an entire story dedicated to Mr. Fish, so the album title isn't some goofy concept, it's a truth of what you're about to hear. Although, many tracks come across as "love songs" or better yet, as relationship songs. I suppose there isn't a lot of love on this disc, cause I guess I find Hamilton questioning a lot of things in his life. Assuming of course that Hamilton is the narrator on this disc. In any case, this is some good old fashioned ska rock that doesn't overwhelm you, but still provides a steady beat and often time dancable fast breaks. I dig the album, and I'm sure fans of more mellow ska punk will agree with The Delegates free, second full length release. -MG |
