Streetlight Manifesto - 'Somewhere in the Between'

As far as third wave ska bands go, you can’t do much better than Streetlight Manifesto (Although, to be honest, Big D and The Kids Table will always own my heart). Fronted by Tomas Kalnoky, former frontman to Catch 22 and composer of its stunning debut, Keasbey Nights, Streetlight Manifesto has gone on to secure a devoted fan base of its own. The band’s debut, and belated sequel to Keasbey Nights, entitled Everything Goes Numb, was one of the most technically impressive ska releases of the new millennium.

After releasing a revision of Keasbey Nights last year, Streetlight Manifesto returned this week with a third entry in “The Keasbey Diaries,” Somewhere in the Between. Like Keasbey Nights and Everything Goes Numb before it, Somewhere in the Between is a brilliantly composed collection from Kalnoky and his crew. The record fits in seamlessly with the band’s past work while tweaking its sound ever so slightly.

The record begins with the swelling opening of lead single “We Will Fall Together.” Obsessed with death, the song finds comfort in its chorus—“And when we fall/we will fall forever/No one will catch us so we’ll catch ourselves.” It’s a fine DIY mantra, and a welcome one.

“We Will Fall Together” finds a sweet balance between tuneful hooks and expansive, horn-filled jams, and it is indicative of the rest of the album. The record as a whole exists somewhere between The Specials and World/Inferno Friendship Society, thanks to epic jams like “Down, Down, Down to Mephisto’s Café” and “The Receiving End of It All.”

While the overall result is very reminiscent of Everything Went Numb, there are subtle differences between the two. Relative newcomer Jim Conti, who plays both alto and tenor saxophone on the recordings, also has a strong back-up vocal presence. He is every bit as essential to the vox as Kalnoky.

There are also some interesting new arrangements—the exploding cacophony of horns starting at the 1:16 mark of “One Foot on the Gas, One Foot in the Grave,” or the ska-punk leanings of “Watch It Crash,” for example.

Overall, though, the record does not break through to new artistic heights. At the same time, though, there’s nothing wrong with having a signature sound, which is exactly what Kalnoky and Streetlight Manifesto possess. Somewhere in the Between is a solid follow-up to Everything Goes Numb, and is a sure to shine brilliantly in a live setting. Big D’s Strictly Rude finally has some competition for best ska record of the year.