For the Damned, The Dumb & The Delirious

Still going strong in what’s become an increasingly sparse playing field, Big D and the Kids Table keep the third wave ska revival alive on For the Damned, the Dumb & the Delirious. While the band still manages to capture the good-time vibes and driving energy of the third wave, lyrically it’s clear that even though their sound might exist in some kind of bubble outside the normal flow of time, they’ve done a lot of growing up. Disillusionment and nostalgia are pretty common themes throughout For the Damned, with songs like “Home” and “One Day” painting a picture of people who have opened up their eyes to realize that the world has changed all around them, not only without their permission, but without them even noticing. This contrast between timeless music and wake-up call lyrics makes songs like “Modern American Gypsy” seem all the more poignant as David McWane shouts “Brace yourself for a true, long life” over a classic Operation Ivy-style ska-punk groove. All told, For the Damned, the Dumb & the Delirious is not only a fun bit of nostalgic ska for anyone who might have left the genre behind, but is it's also sure to please Big D and the Kids Table diehards who have stuck with the band through thick and thin, and the messages contained within will ring equally true no matter which category you may fall into. ~ Gregory Heaney