No Stopping, No Standing

By rights, No Stopping, No Standing should be a virtual continuation of Fighting Gravity's Shishkabob album, as the majority of No Stopping's songs were also written in 1992. But there's a world of difference between the two albums, and one that their Bobsled Christmas EP, which slots between the two, does nothing to explain. Unlike the celebratory Shishk, No Stopping has a much more shadowed sound, and which while never reaching the depths of melancholy or broodiness, imbues much of the set with a sprinkling of dark clouds on the horizon.

There are brighter moments however, like the album opening "Mash It Up," which juxtaposes frenetic ska against anthemic lighter-in-the-air rock and pairs it with a joyous unity message.

The perky "Common Shoes," good-time reggae in an English Beat-esque mode of sweet melody and snappy rhythms, and the even more insistent instrumental title track, also break the mold. The dreamy "Fill a Space" and the shimmering "Julula" are more representative, however, both have a yearning quality that seeps through much of the set, which reaches a lyrical crescendo on the otherwise brazenly upbeat "Home," the music cutting to a quick the hangdog lyrics. Elsewhere, theme, mood and music combine on the moodily, introspective "Don't Have You," a song driven by David Peterson's sinuous bassline, while Gravity fight off the menacing shadows of the past, on the Specials-esque "Deep Blue," do battle with '70s hard rock on the instrumental "Threat or Menace," then take on the biggest monster of them all "Godzilla," a ska-fi-ish extravaganza. Unlike the more party flavored Shishk, No Stopping is more a rainy day affair, where one can sit back and enjoy the darker moods and the band's always excellent musicianship at length.