Album: Talk Is Killing Me
Artist: Half Past Two
Release: April 19, 2024; Bad Time Records
When it comes to ska southern California was a powerhouse in the third wave, producing many iconic bands of the era. Hailing from Orange County and joining Bad Times Records for their recent release “Talk is Killing me”, Half Past Two proves that they are locked in and prepared to carry on the tradition into the New Tone Era.
This album has a little something for every type of music lover. “In My Head” is a poppy rock jam. “I Don’t Dream Anymore” has a really amazing classic ska vibe that I dig. By far the most stand out song on the album for me is “Barrier For Entry”. It is everything that I would expect from a New Tone Band. It’s upbeat and catchy. The lyrics are politically meaningful in a very approachable way. The majority of the song sets up the premise that the world is constructed in a way that isn’t working for most people. It informs listeners that strength can be found within their communities. Then, with about a minute left in the song, the horns come in hard, and you just know they are building up to something important. That is when Tara Hahn drops the line “When something can’t be fixed, the question is: What do we build instead?” Let me tell you friends, that is the kind of call to action that a political song like this really needs. It leaves listeners feeling empowered and optimistic enough to make change. If it isn’t clear by now, this is my favorite song on the album. “Our Playlist” is another stand out song that really hits me in the feels. It’s an acoustic duet between Tara Hahn and Scott Klopfenstein. It has got a lot of sorrow and loss packed into Tara’s vocal performance. Scott’s feature here is also really good and if I am being honest, really makes me rethink my general dislike of Reel Big Fish. There is also an instrument that plays throughout the background of the song. A person that is musically smarter than me, with a better ear, has told me that it is probably slide guitar with a heavy delay and reverb, but it is hard to say for sure. Regardless of what it is, it is very cool, and the song would be lesser without it. I feel like the chances are high that most post pandemic albums will have at least one pandemic song. Is “Isolated Days” that song for this album? I can’t say for sure, but I’d put money on it if I was the betting type. It is a cool take on a pandemic song because its short and upbeat; basically, everything the pandemic wasn’t while it was happening. The song is also chaotic, a little frantic, and definitely shorter than you think it should have been. Which also happens to be everything that the pandemic feels like now in retrospect.
The verdict is in. “Talk is Killing Me” definitely kills it in every way that matters. The album offers songs that run the gamut of life’s ups and downs. It’s well composed and performed and everything I hope for in a Ska album. A fantastic addition to the New Tone song book.
This review was originally posted on April 26, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.
