Reel Big Fish's latest release is absolutely incredible and fires on all cylinders.  Life Sucks...Let's Dance!  takes listeners a magical journey to a time and place where all that mattered was the music itself. This one is as real as it gets, and well worth the price of admission.  Grab a copy today!

Reel Big Fish is set to debut their latest album, Life Sucks...Let’s Dance!, on Friday December 21st and their fans have been waiting a while for it. This is the first album since they released their Christmas album, Happy Skalidays, back in 2014 and then before that, Candy Coated Fury in 2012. Needless to say, I think we were all patiently waiting for this release.

RBF is an energetic ska-punk band from Southern California and were basically the pioneers of the genre who really brought it into the mainstream. If you have been to Warped Tour in the last 24 years, you may have seen their name on the big Vans inflatable set list a number of times. RBF continued to come back most years for the cross-country tour and if you were ever walking by their set, you were almost immediately tuned into what was happening on stage because not everywhere do you see a horn section killing it on stage at Warped. I always thought this band was a great addition to the tour because their unique sound and onstage swagger added some much-needed variety to all of the hardcore metal bands that typically ruled the lineup.

When I first listened to Life Sucks...Let’s Dance!, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it sounded like a mix between Sublime with a little of Sum 41 and a hint of Blink-182. I hear this in the song “Tongue Tied And Tipsy Too”. There is still the taste of ska but with that upbeat punk Sum 41 and Blink-182 sound. Aaron Barrett has always been great at keeping the energy high with the choruses and melodies throughout each track. Since the debut album in 1995, it has been an uphill climb for this group.

The 6-piece band does a wonderful job at keeping each song exciting and interesting. Take the first track, “Life Sucks...Let’s Dance!”, for example, they jump right into it and set the mood for what is to be expected throughout this amazing release.  There is a level of authenticity you hear in the lyrics of each song that is rare in this day and age - they just tell you how it is and don’t sugarcoat the message. I really enjoyed their song “Bob Marley’s Toe” and its comedic value. It pokes fun but does it in a manner that makes it enjoyable. This is a perfect example of their authenticity described earlier and says a lot about this incredible band. 

Overall, I think the album flows smoothly and is a good listen to the ears as well. To touch on the production value of the tracks, you can hear every aspect of the music very well. Especially with horns in the mix, I was very impressed with how balanced every track was. I think this is their most anticipated album since 2012 and have no doubt that anyone who give this a spin will be super impressed top to bottom.  Congratulations to Reel Big Fish on a killer release - I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did. 

And if you have not caught them live, do so in 2019 as they will be criss-crossing the US with two amazing bands, Mest and Bikini Trill! Click HERE to learn more.

As always, rock on my friends!     Hunnypot Approved!     Overall Rating:  9.2 out of 10

Artist, Reel Big Fish,  Album: Life Sucks...Let's Dance!,  Release Date: December 21st, 2018 (Pre-Order HERE),  Label: Rock Ridge Music