Ska-Core, the Devil and More

Led by the classic “Someday I Suppose” (which would anchor the following year’s LP, Don’t Know How to Party) the 1993 EP Ska-Core, the Devil, and More shows The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in their young prime. They still had the recklessness of a newborn punk band but were also quickly refining a fusion of ska, pop, and hardcore that was entirely their own. “Think Again,” “Lights Out,” and “Police Beat” are ruthless hardcore songs that indicated the band hadn't yet outgrown their ferocious beginnings. To balance, they threw in a cover of The Wailers’ 1964 ska anthem “Simmer Down,” which is played here with patience and attention to the subtle details of the groove. (It also features some fine solo work from the band’s underappreciated squadron of horn players.) In the future, the Bosstones would seek to unify these two styles, a mission that began to take shape with “Drugs and Kittens/I’ll Drink to That,” a live medley that finds the band sliding and careening through a fun-loving cacophony of jazz, ska, and hardcore punk.