"Ska sucks. Ska revival isn’t cool, you stupid fuck. The bands are only in it for the bucks. And if you don’t believe me you’re a schmuck. But the trend will die out with any luck. Rudy, a message to you Rudy… Fuck you Rudy!"- Propagandhi – Ska Sucks (Off their album: How to Clean Everything)
Oh Propagandhi! Most of the times you are right, but in the case of the Pinstripes you are oh so wrong. While there is plenty of totally garbage no talent ska acts out there the Pinstripes have created a more roots oriented ska sound that still has that swing and groove that some of their early material had. The band has turned to a cleaner and sleeker guitar tone while using distortion sparingly (for effect) and has added an organ and sweet harmonies to accompany new vocalist Mike Sarason. The band’s dub influences are more apparent on this record than any of their previous efforts. From the totally chill feel of “Evening Dub” to the insane reverb of the vocals on “Africa” The Decay marks a step forward in the Pinstripes’ versatile sound. The production on these tracks are top notch and you would never have known that the production was done by guitarist Matt Kursmark in the band’s practice space.
The influence of more poppy and roots oriented ska bands like Westbound Train and the Slackers can be seen not only in the oooohs and aaaahs on the background vocals but in the way the songs are structured. The bass is not overpowering in the least and fits in well by just feeding off the energy of the rest of the band and letting the guitars and horns drive the songs. Drummer Casey Weissbuch’s talents as a drummer are tested on this record as he goes from complicated beats during the bands slower songs to faster drumming on up-tempo songs. The horns are more prominent on this record, and the three horn players’ sound bigger and louder than bands who have 5 or more horn players in their lineups. Not to mention some sweet solos!
The title track begins with the horn section blaring out a Streetlight Manifestoesque horn line, but pairing that kind of horn composition with their new style only furthers the Pinstripes away from their ska-punk origins. In fact, if it wasn’t for later on “The Decay” when trumpet player Ben Pitz and Sarason lament the political situation in the United States that the Pinstripes in any way resemble a ska-punk band.
"The Decay" is a very cohesive record except for the final track (“I Wanna Go Home”) and the intro and ending of the song “We Come Apart”. The latter has distant sounding horn parts with a tight bass groove, but the guitar in the outro and intro is so out of place it hurts. The final track is “that acoustic song at the end of an album song”. The version on the band’s split with the Prairie Dog Gangsters was not only better because of the band’s former female vocalist but because of the instrumentation. “Africa” would have been a perfect closer, but alas, what can you do?
This release is a huge step forward for the Pinstripes, who have reinvented their sound around Sarason’s voice like a tight black and white pinstriped suit. The Pinstripes take influence from a plethora of ska acts, the music is still ska and upstrokes aren’t too new. Pick this up if you like ska with a more soulful side. May the ska and reggae gods smile in approval as the band prepares for its third summer tour this coming June and July.
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