UNION LOCAL 2112
2008
Hungover, But Dead Sober
About This Album
Hung Over, But Dead Sober has 15 songs, 34 minutes, no pauses between tracks, and not a ton of sonic variation either -- just lots of short sharp-fast punk rock songs with enough hooks to make them easily listenable but not enough to push the album into the pop-punk bin alongside blink-182 and Green Day. Technically the Real Deal! are a punk-ska band, but unlike most of their colleagues they tend to play either one style or the other, rather than blending them together -- and they seem to be happiest in straight-up punk mode. Highlight tracks include the groovy shout-along "Bombs Away!" and the particularly tuneful "The Beating." The two-minute-long "No Stupid Chances" features a chord progression that Green Day could have been proud of. Although there are hints of ska and reggae in the cute guitar licks and ska interlude on that number, the first real ska excursion doesn't take place until 12 tracks into the program, on the loping then galloping "Bushido's Way," a song that should be more fun than it somehow is -- perhaps because it has no real melody to speak of. Overall, though, this album is plenty of good snotty fun and can be heartily recommended to everyone who remembers and misses the ska-punk heyday of the mid- to late '90s. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11)

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