Pay Attention

Rather than rush a follow-up to their multiplatinum breakthrough—1997’s Let’s Face It—The Mighty Mighty Bosstones took their time making Pay Attention, and that commitment to quality control paid off. While the album didn’t produce a hit on par with “The Impression That I Get,” it had plenty of contenders, including “The Skeleton Song,” “All Things Considered,” and “So Sad to Say,” all of which come off as frank and user-friendly without sacrificing the band’s fundamental eccentricity. The band’s newfound maturity is reflected in Dick Barrett’s singing, which is tenderer here than in years past. Even on roaring rock songs like “One Million Reasons,” “Finally,” and “Over the Eggshells,” the band’s mouthpiece substitutes patience for aggression, which makes his stories even more convincing. Among the fan favorites are “Riot on Broad Street,” “Bad News and Bad Breaks,” and the elegiac “The Day He Didn’t Die,” all of which appealed directly to grassroots Bosstones fans, who loved and supported the band long before they became radio darlings.