The Mob Law
Hold us Down
01.04.08
Words cannot accurately express how impressed I am with
the newest from the Mob Law, titled "Hold Us Down".
A unique (and for once, I really do mean unique) blend of
hip hop, reggae, punk, and ska, they find themselves somewhere
on the musical spectrum between Sublime, Blue Scholars,
Pepper, and Public Access. Generally, when listening to
similar-minded bands, I find myself noticing that although
they "blend" different genres, each song will
generally sound exactly the same, with the same basic recipe
for putting together each track. In The Mob Law's case,
however, each song has its own entirely different feel and
although I can definitely hear each of the different musical
influences in basically every song, they still remain separate
musical entities with very different styles of composition.
Vocally, they actually do strongly resemble Sublime and
although that is certainly a compliment (as Sublime is one
of the quintessential ska/punk bands of the 90's), it may
also throw off some listeners who find them simply derivative.
If this is your school of thought after hearing the first
few songs, I implore you to reconsider and continue to listen
to the entire album. Although they do draw in influences
from several quite noticeable genres and even more specific
bands, they find ways to use their creative prowess and
make each track their own. Lyrically, they also seem to
blend each of the influential factors behind their music,
drawing in the revolutionary aspects of underground hip
hop and punk and mixing with the more chilled out aspects
of reggae and ska.
For the most part, they keep the music pretty simple, as
they let the vocalists and lyrics carry the band, but there
are definite moments of brilliance and at several points
the precision and crafting of the drumming/percussion is
nothing short of spectacular. Throughout the entirety of
"Hold Us Down", there is a sort of musical cohesion
that is very rarely found anymore. The boys of the Mob Law
work incredibly well together and it's completely apparent
from the first thirty seconds of the first track. In fact,
the only qualms I have at all about the album at all is
that it's been nearly impossible for me to pick out a favorite
song. I told myself I'd be a bit harsher and more critical
with my reviews in 2008 (a sort of twisted new years resolution,
I suppose), but I simply cannot find anything negative to
say about them. The record is solid from start to finish
and will probably be on permanent repeat for a while by
the hookah in my garage. Even the six minute epic ska journey,
titled "Promises" kept my attention throughout
the lengthy track.
However, the most important factor behind the brilliance
of "Hold Us Down" are the melodies driving each
song. After only a couple listens, I've already found myself
singing along, humming along, and getting the tunes stuck
in my head. There's a big difference between a well crafted
song, and a well crafted song that can get stuck in your
head all day, and The Mob Law have created an entire album
of the latter. In short: an absolutely incredible album.
I love it.
Songs to keep an ear on: "Hold Us Down", "Life
Worth Livin' ", "Keep On Shinin'"
Reviewed by: Brian Anderson
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