Push ‘N Shove
(Hellcat/Epitaph)
Many of the left-coast bands who took a ska-revivalist tack in the 90’s did so by starting with the revved-up sound of 2-Tone stalwarts like the Specials and the Selecter, axing the political content and dumping in some grunge guitar edge. L.A.’s Hepcat are ska-revivalists, and though they maintain the racially mixed lineup that the 2-Toners were so proud of, they look past that movement for musical inspiration, instead gazing all the way back to the days of Don Drummond and the Skatalites: a time when a romantic, easy-lope was ska’s dominant strain and songs like the Ethiopians “Train to Skaville” were fresh out of the box.
Push N’ Shove’s “Daydreamin” is a perfect example of where Hepcat are coming from: after a skittery drum flourish, the tune settles into a gently percolating double horn-riff and leader Greg Lee flits through a tale of heartbreak and lessons learned, ending up in a lush vocal coda that recalls the innocent sentiments of 1950’s vocal combos like The Drifters. Elsewhere, Hepcat uses a similar vibe to lament the “Prison of Love”, ponder the beauty of “You and I” and urge everyone to “Live On”, while tossing in covers of Jamaican old-timer Lord Funny (“Tek Dat”) and 60’s Cali soulman Brenton Wood (“The Sign”).
The two brief but ill-advised forays into dub not withstanding, this release marks a solid leap forward in cohesiveness and clarity of purpose from 1998’s Right On Time. By eschewing the rock/pop elements that other ska-troupers have grafted onto their tunes, Hepcat has created an oasis of throwback ska, a collection so sweet and good-natured you could take it home to Mom and Dad. In these times of brusque showboating and empty-headed teen-queen trilling, such time-tripping feels welcome.
Time Out New York, 2000
