Close My Eyes

by The Slackers

Overview

The Slackers return with Close My Eyes, and it might be their most mature album yet. Whether that's a compliment or a slight depends on your opinion of ska, and if you say you don't have one, you're lying. Eyes mixes dub and ska rhythms with Vic Ruggiero's increasingly conventional songwriting, which can be really effective, as it is with the concise, soulful "Mommy." But sometimes the Slackers seem to slip in the integration department. The puttering, rocksteady-inspired groove of "Axes," for example, seems completely disconnected from Ruggiero's conventional (and clunky) vocals -- the track could have easily been an instrumental. And while the band's ruminations on 9/11 are no doubt inspired, "Real War" gets a bit uncomfortable when it begins pleading for racial equality from warmongering politicians. The sentiment is respectable, to be sure. But the track's by-the-numbers dub begins to work against it, mostly because it seems to rest on your perceptions of past reggae/dub protest songs. This is a persistent issue with the third wave and beyond, since the music is by design tradition-minded but still wants to push things forward like any functional band would. The Slackers may or may not have succeeded at achieving this balance, but they've likely made an album their established fan base will love, if nothing else. Close My Eyes is also perfectly recorded, aping the flat, splashy Studio One sound. This is especially apparent on the opening and closing instrumentals, as well as the light dub of "Lazy Woman." ~ Johnny Loftus

Product Details

Release Date:	09/06/2024
Label:	Pirates Press Record
UPC:	0810096655639
Rank:	164537

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Slackers   Primary Artist
Rolf Langsjoen   Trumpet,Guest Artist
Glen Pine   Vocals (Background),Trombone
Allen Teboul   Drums
Marq Lyn   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
David Hilyard   Saxophone
Larry McDonald   Percussion,Guest Artist
Victor Ruggiero   Organ,Piano,Vocals,Melodica,Harmonica,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Marcus Geard   Bass,Stick Bass,Vocals (Background)
Glen Adams   Organ,Guest Artist
Thomas John Scanlon   Guitar

Technical Credits

Allen Teboul   Group Member
Jess Paikarovski   Cover Photo,Assistant Engineer
Jack Keronac   Liner Notes
Marq Lyn   Group Member
David Hilyard   Group Member
Ira Heaps   Engineer
Noah Schachtman   Editing
Sidney Mills   Mixing
Victor Ruggiero   Mixing,Engineer,Sub-Mixing,Group Member
David Hillyard   Composer
Roy Matthews   Engineer
Marcus Geard   Composer,Group Member
Alan Douches   Mastering
Glen Adams   Engineer
The Slackers   Composer
Glen Pine   Group Member
Eddie "Headdie" Ocampo   Design,Layout Design
Thomas John Scanlon   Group Member