Honey I'm Homely

So many mid-'90s bands combined ska with punk rock, and so few of them did it in any memorable way, that it's a genuine pleasure to be able to report on one that makes it work perfectly. The Dance Hall Crashers succeed by worrying about tunes first and rhythmic signifiers second (if at all), and by putting two marvelous singers (Elise Rogers and Karina Denike) front and center and yoking them equally. On "All Mine" they slide in and out of harmony, spending half the time singing in sweet unison while the guitar-bass-drums backing trio spins out tightly constructed power-pop-ska behind them, whereas on "Elvis & Me" one sings lead while the other jumps in with perfect harmonies on the chorus. That's the formula and they stick with it, much to the music's benefit. The tempos are typically very brisk but never feel rushed (a sure sign of maturity in a ska band), and the production is clear and focused without sounding overly slick. Excellent.