Medium Rare

The Medium Rare compilation was released during the Bosstones’ hiatus from public life, from 2003 to 2009. A collection of three new songs, nine unreleased tracks, and a few rare B-sides, the album was a way to satiate the band’s loyal fans while they decided what to do next. The collection comes off like a brand-new recording. Perhaps because the group felt pressure to reassert their aggressiveness with each new album, Medium Rare contains some of the mellower songs that were originally discarded. “To California,” “Katie,” and “Is It?” are gentle by Bosstones standards, but that turns out to be a good thing. These songs show the band’s ability to steer a tight groove even when adopting a more intimate tone. Two Christmas songs—“This Time of Year” and “A Reason to Toast”—avoid the corny clichés of holiday music and instead connect Christmas to the timeless Bosstones themes of brotherhood and communal cheer. It boded well for the group that the three new recordings are the best on the album, especially the “List” and “Don’t Worry Desmond Dekker,” which immediately joined the ranks of the band’s very best songs.