A big congrats to The What Nows?! on the release of their highly anticipated album, Neglected Objective. This may have taken longer than expected, but it’s evident in the sound that it was not rushed and no corners were cut. What we have here is a high quality, crisp as fuck ska punk album.
If you are familiar with the bands debut, Misread Allegory, released in 2019, you know that Berg, the lead vocalist, has a captivating voice. One that will immediately grab your attention and make you want to hear more. He also plays the ukulele and is backed by a talented group of musicians that play extremely well together. I am completely obsessed with the trumpet playing on this album. I feel like without it, you’d have a solid band absolutely worth listening but this is a big part of what makes them stand out, for me anyway!
Neglected Objective is a fast upbeat album that any ska punk fan will certainly appreciate. Some of the songs are just plain fun, but you better believe there are also songs, like ‘Old Pages’ and ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ that stress frustration about the issues of the world we are living in today. I enjoyed the album in its entirety, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would have to be ‘Broken Down’. Ask me how many times today I found myself singing “Is that a cop, is that a cop, is that a cop right behind me?”. Tell me you don’t do the same after listening!
I also love the featured guests on Lovely Assistant. It should come as no surprise that I think Emilie Plamondon (Punk Roquette) is amazing, so I was excited to see she was a part of this. Her and Maude Carrier killed it on this track. What beautiful voices the two of them have.
Alright, you’ve heard enough from me. Go listen to the album already! It’s up now on the band’s bandcamp page and will soon be available on all streaming platforms.
If you love it, dig deeper, stream their debut album, and get out to see them live! Upcoming shows include 4/18 in Stroudsburg, PA supporting The Aggrolites, Camp Punskylvania 7/5-7/7 (daily lineups TBA) in Gilbert, PA, and Buffalo Ska Fest 7/13 in Buffalo, NY. Skanking and singing along are encouraged!
The SKAgazine 