The Kingpins Plan Of Action

The most recent release on Stomp! records from The Kingpins is a departure and a half for the band. The title track sets the stage for the album (or so it would seem) with its alterna-pop fusion with ska. There's no question that it's a good song, but it's unlike anything they've put out before. By the third track, L'Aventurier (sung in French), we're snapped back into a powerful ska progression. Even if you don't understand french (I studied it for ten years and I still only get about half of it), this is a fun song to listen to. By the fifth track, Josh takes the mic. Josh does his best to look tough all over the album, but his singing voice is decidedly smooth and wuss-rock esque ( I mean that in a good way ). "Takin' It Uptown" is a cool song about reggae and ska becoming more popular; and Josh returns on track 9 to do some toasting (yes you heard right) on "Goes a Little Something Like This". Lorraine and Josh then do a duet on "Consequence", another song about a cheatin' heart. One of the few somber notes on the album comes in the form of a ballad about a rock star who is so popular s/he cant' go outside, on "All The World's a Cage". They might have been singing about Kurt Cobain on this one.
In sum, the record is not their most skankin' effort by any stretch of the imaginiation. It marks a real departure for them, but not along the lines of Dance Hall Crashers or The Eclectics. Their music is still ska and it is still very good. Check it out!