Skank Bandit - Single Review: Suck On That
Taranaki band Skank Bandit are excited to be releasing new music once again, in the wake of all the Covid
lockdowns, hold-ups, and disruption to the music scene. As soon as they were able to jam together in person, this track was the first song they wrote. And it came out spontaneously and almost “fully formed”, with the demo recording of that initial jam
being very close to the final recording.
Recorded at Rhythm Ace Studios, producer and sound engineer Sam Johnson basically recorded the single live, and they all agree, that seems to be the best way to capture the band's energy, fire, and creative spark.
Suck On That bursts into life with guitars, drums, and bass all-in for that first big hit of the intro, then stripping back to just the guitar skank for a couple of bars, then the drums bring the band back in for the second big hit before the song finally finds its stride, and settles into that laid-back reggae-rock vibe. A good intro sets the scene for a song, and a clever one becomes really recognisable from the very first note, and Skank Bandit have done a really good job here.
Singer Wes James created a cool video clip to accompany the track which captures the whole vibe of the song really well, too. The perfectly timed shoe drop syncing bang-on with the opening smash. The clip sets off from home by bicycle, holding a phone in one hand, and capturing the beauty of the local Ngamotu/New Plymouth area. It has a really local home-grown feel and was filmed at the perfect time of the evening to capture that beautiful sunset.
Coming out of the feelings of frustration, boredom, and isolation of lockdown, the song has a slightly melancholy feel which reflects that “groundhog day” feeling we all experienced during lockdown. The opening line of the song “It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday or a Saturday …” will be fully relatable for most of us!
Guitarist Tecwyn King creates some very cool soundscapes throughout the track. I’d be interested to know what pedals he’s using, as some of the sounds are hard to tell if it’s actually a guitar or a synth with a modulator wheel! The outro is really nice too, slowing to a psychedelic spacey finish with a feel-good conclusion. Very nice. My only little constructive criticism (as I try to add that in a review too) is the song could have possibly done with a change of some sort, a bridge, or a change of vocal melody, as the song was a little samey all the way through.
Suck On That is the first single from the band’s second studio-recorded album, the first album being Blood, Sweat and Beers. The plan is to release singles until the whole album is available, with live shows planned in the coming months. A solid plan! Great track and I am keen to hear more, and to catch Skank Bandit live at some point.
About Skank Bandit
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