Album Review – Burn It Up, Toys

Burn It Up, formerly known as Mrs Skannotto, have announced that they will be releasing their sophomore album, Toys, which follows on from their 2014 debut, Outlier. Toys is scheduled for release on October 14th, Burn It Up incorporate elements of alternative rock, reggae, punk and ska that means Toys is an album that is hard to classify, the six piece’s distinct sound reflects the eclectic musical backgrounds and styles of each band member, and their shared influences, which is something that becomes abundantly clear as you make your way through the ten tracks that comprise Toys.

The album opens with sinister lullaby tones before the New York sextet kick into the dark skanking of 101 and Fire Man, the single Affluenza ups the tempo with a more frantic number, which has a stronger punk element than the opening pair of tracks, after this the album heads into heavy dub of Heartbeat. Toys continues in this vein, veering between ska and dub with the occasional injection of adrenalin from the punkier elements of the album. Burn It Up are a band in a crowded genre that is hard to stand out in, as there are many established bands that play ska punk hybrids, but I think there’s definitely room for Burn It Up as they bring their own style and unique mix of influences to the party.

This isn’t your standard ska punk crossover by any means, the ska element is more predominant on the majority of tracks than you typically find. The horn section is given equal billing in the mix to the other instruments and as a result this is an album that will appeal immensely to fans of The Mad Caddies, Sublime and Reel Big Fish, along with anyone who has a love of the original Two Tone bands of the 1980’s who pioneered the ska punk sound, such as The Beat and The Specials. Fans of their debut album will not be disappointed with Toys and those who were fans of their previous incarnation, Mr Skanatto, will be glad to hear that they are still keeping the ska flame burning brightly in their sound.

Toys can be pre-ordered here