This is the first (and only) studio album from Commissioner Gordon. It was released in 2001, one year after their debut EP.
It doesn't feel right using the word "mature" when reviewing a ska CD, but this album is very smooth and sophisticated ska. It's worlds apart from their debut EP, and I really dig both styles.
Recording quality is mixed- the cymbals are a unintelligable mess, the kick-drum could use more bottom end punch, the snare is hollow in some songs, and the bass guitar sound is lacking (in different ways) in some of the songs. On the positive side, the ocker vocals are crisp and honest, the horn sound is rich and "meaty" (other 3rd wave ska bands take note!) and all the guitar sounds- from smooth reggae offbeats to cheese-cutter punk- sound great.
Anyway, on to the songs. There are five (mostly) instrumentals on the album, my favourite of which are are Diplomatic Immunity and Sax Offender. Both are high-energy combinations of punk/ska/swing, with the running basslines and horn layering being particular highlights for me.
A couple of songs follow the more traditional offbeat-verse-punk-chorus structure, such as Columbian Druglord (with reggae elements which contrast wonderfully) and a rehash of Bernie Got Wise from their EP (sadly lacking the funk intro. Boo!). In these punky moments, influences of Twisted Sister are heard.
Slowing things down a notch for a cool menacing rocksteady feel are, Balinese Bodypart Bandits (which is a bit of a poor cousin to Bernie Got Wise in my opinion) and Sensible Ska. Sensible Ska could almost be a serious protest song from the band Midnight Oil, due to the menacing mood, strong riffs and anthemic chorus. But the completely ridiculous lyrics shatter such notions. And make for a brilliant song!
Similarly, Volvo Drivers has a great cruisy feel, as it flows from start to finish without a chorus. The layering is a highlight for me, as is the comic treatment of serious social issues in the lyrics. The issue of teenage pregnancy also gets its tale told without any respect for the seriousness, in Teenage Mother. A very funny portrayal. Or perhaps disgracefully insensitive, depending on your perspective, I guess...
Sherlock Homes, a funny backhanded complement to parking inspectors, could be described as disjointed, but the lyrics make it a favourite for me. Strangely, the final song is actually a brilliant opener- Better Call the Commissioner.
At one of the bands reunion shows, between songs the singer said something like "We turn up year after year and just play the same stuff every time. But you guys seem to love it". Indeed we do! It is amazing that a band with just one EP and one album remained popular with fans for so long. But when the songs are this good, I'll happily listen to them over and over.
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