Have Nots – Proud

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to review music.  So it is only fitting for me that I am able to review the album that I am.  Proud, the sophomore album from Boston’s The Have Nots, was one I had been anticipating for quite some time – checking daily (multiple times) on the label website and the band’s twitter for pre-order information.  While I waited, they offered sneak peeks of four songs from the album to help hold me over and when Proud was finally released, it was well worth the wait.

On the opening (and title) track’s chorus, singer John Cauztik asks “If my dad could see me now would he be proud?  That I’ve become the man I am?” Looking back now, it sounds to me like Cauztik was giving listeners a bit of a glimpse into the growth and progression that would become apparent later on.

I will liken the Have Nots progression to that of a young power pitcher (because I have found there is a strange amount of baseball enjoying punk fans out there).  When the young power pitcher starts out, they can rely on throwing every pitch flirting with triple digit mph on the radar gun (like Serf City).  As the pitcher matures, they learn that mixing in some quality off speed pitches will make them more successful by keeping the opposing hitters off balance.

With Proud, the Have Nots were able to keep the listener from settling in too much by successfully  mixing in some slower numbers such as “Farewell Show” and the title track “Proud” all the while staying true to their ska punk roots and showcasing Cauztik’s vocal strength.  But like a good power pitcher, they still know what their bread and butter is and are not afraid to pick up the pace, and turn up the heat on political shout outs like “Secret Machines” and “Freedom of Recession.”

I enjoyed the album from top to bottom but one of my favorite songs from the album was also the first to be released, “Louisville Slugger” (it first appeared on the Paper + Plastick Winter Sampler and was made available as a free individual download as well). It is the lyrics that transform this song into a standout, as they tackle the dangerous subject of domestic abuse and their willingness to defend a friend (althogh they’re quick to mention that they don’t advocate violence in situations such as this, but believe in more peaceful solutions, and the song was written in order to support the friend).

As I mentioned earlier, the opening track finds John Cauztik wondering outloud if his dad would be proud with him after all the stuff he’s done. After listening to Proud from front to back, all I can say is yes, yes he would.