Album Review- The Interrupters- In The Wild

One of my favorite bands of recent years are the Interrupters. It seems a requirement to mention the ska craze of the 90s that brought No Doubt and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to the masses. It’s hard to say if the Interrupters will ever have that much fame. Though 2018’s Fight the Good Fight was in all definitions, a smash in terms of the brave, new music world. The new album In The Wild gives some insight on where the band’s heart lies. It’s got some cameos, but rather than some random guests, it seems like a very particular group of bands that pull as much from reggae and soul, as they do from ska. Bands that gravitated to traditional Jamaican sounds instead of pop radio. Those guests are Rhoda Dakar of the original 2 tone band The Bodysnatchers, 90s throwback ska band Hepcat and 201xs London ska punks The Skints. The band goes back a long way with Tim Armstrong (Rancid/Operation Ivy/Transplants). Aimee Interrupter and guitarist Kevin Bivona both appear in backing roles for Jimmy Cliff on his 2012 Rebirth album. Yet in many ways, the band seems to be just now hitting a full realization of themselves. A lot of critics have pointed out the turn the lyrics have taken toward the personal. That my conjure a mental image of some bookish Morrissey or Dylan musings. That’s not really a characteristic that goes well with ska. So I’m not sure lyrical heaviness is always for the best. Singles “In the Mirror” starts leaning closer to No Doubt than the Clash for example. But generally, the band gets the balance right. Also it seems counterintuitive for a band who gave us the scorching “She’s Kerosene” on the last album, the best moments on In The Wild often are when things slow down a bit. For me personally, I think I prefer the previous album, but there’s nothing wrong with In The Wild which has obligations to be radio-friendly, be taken as a serious work of art, and rock enough to keep up with the Operation Ivy/Green Day crowd. It shows a band that is going down a well traveled road, but doing things in a way that remains fresh. 2022 - Hellcat