Album Review: Reel Big Fish – Life Sucks… Let’s Dance!

Reel Big Fish emerged from the SoCal ska-punk scene in the 1990’s, unlike many of their peers who either adopted a commercial approach or split up, Reel Big Fish have stuck to their guns, they never lost their love of beer, juvenile humour, ironic cover versions and of course ska. They have also retained their sole remaining original member, frontman Aaron Barrett, and remain constantly on tour taking their ska party across the world. Reel Big Fish have now released their latest album Life Sucks… Let’s Dance!, their first album in six years, and it continues to follow in the footsteps of their album’s that preceded it. 

From the album’s title track onwards you’re in familiar territory, this is good time ska designed for drinking beer by the pool, which makes December an odd choice of month to release Life Sucks… Let’s Dance! in. The album flits continuously between ska, reggae and punk and it’s all reassuringly delivered with Reel Big Fish‘s trademark enthusiasm. My personal highlights are, somewhat unsurprisingly, the album’s punkier moments such as Tongue Tied and Tipsy Too and there is of course Another Beer Song, in fact the only thing missing from Life Sucks… Let’s Dance! is the almost obligatory eighties cover version.

There are several important questions to ask yourself before playing the new album from Reel Big Fish, these include do I like good time uptempo party ska? do I like beer? and most importantly, do I like the other albums by Reel Big Fish? if the answer is yes to all three then stop wasting your time reading this and just order Life Sucks… Let’s Dance! This is a Reel Big Fish album, one that contains every hook, horn and riff you could hope for, the downside of this is that the number of surprises contained on their latest full length is exactly zero, but their established fan base are going to love every second of it.

Life Sucks… Let’s Dance! can be pre-ordered via Reel Big Fish‘s website here