The Have Nots – Serf City USA

Chances are if you aren’t from the Boston area you may not have heard of the Have Nots. I know if it wasn’t for the power of MySpace, these guys would’ve gone under my radar but now that they have their first full length, Serf City USA, out, I’d be surprised if they don’t start attracting some attention; from both fans and labels.

Merging classic ska-punk acts like Operation Ivy with newcomers like Keepin’ 6, The Have Nots are one of the best ska-punk acts in the scene today. Not a third-wave ska band, The Have Nots don’t make the listener tap their feet through the use of horns and brass but instead get the blood boiling and bumbling through just the right amount of upstrokes and intensity. Throwing in touches of reggae and ska with their distorted punk rock speed, the band is equal parts of blistering intensity and ferocity with fun and danceable melodies. First there was Operation Ivy, then Against All Authority and bands like Subband now you can safely add Have Nots to the list of furious ska-punk.

Filled to the rim with distorted upstrokes and thumping bass lines, Serf City USA sounds like The Flatliners before joining Fat Wreck Chords, only the vocals on here aren’t as coarse as Chris Cresswell. Instead they are much… not necessarily softer but more so less worn out. The two vocalists trade vocals with ease, both adding a slightly different spin to the delivery but keeping it in the same intensity.

Despite the heavy ska/reggae feel of the album, you can’t help but notice some famous punk rock references either. The entire album has a slight Fat Wreck vibe and brings up visions of The Swingin Uttersand the bridge (packed with “woahs”) on the title track sounds oddly like Bouncing Souls. This isn’t a bad thing though, it adds an extra layer to the songs; giving it more depth than just a straight forward punk song or straight forward ska song. With elements from both genres, the record becomes more appealing and still comes packed with a powerful rally call for change.

Songs like SBC, One In Four, Anchor for a Drowning Man, Serf City USA, Muerte De Perros (with some spanish lyrics) and Used To Be are all worthy of multiple repeats, and the songs in between aren’t filler either. A solid release for a ska-punk fan by a band that will surely blow up.