Album Review: Joe Gittleman – Hold Up

b.liebman

June 20

Let me get this out of the way: I am a lifelong Mighty Mighty Bosstones fan. They were the first band I ever loved, and I maintained that love through all the years of critical drubbing ska and ska-punk received from mainstream press (I scoff at those haters). Though the Bosstones have hung up their horns, I've continued to follow the work of its members, including Dicky Barrett's The Defiant (though I could do less with their anti-vax messaging), and Joe Gittleman's Avoid One Thing, The Kilograms, and now his debut solo album.

The thing that first struck me listening to Hold Up is the arrangements. You can instantly tell that Gittleman was heavily responsible for the Bosstones' sound, as the music here instantly took me back to when I first heard Let's Face It. Those classic horn harmonies are all over tracks like first single "Plastered in the Rafters". But let's make it clear - this is no Bosstones' record. This is Gittleman further exploring his excellent skills as a storyteller, spinning tales of characters fighting demons, substance abuse, and hopeless romantic dreams, and in the process expanding his own sonic palette.

No one will confuse Gittleman's vocals for Barrett's. The latter's voice was made for gruff, punk anthems. Gittleman is far more of a narrator; unfolding the mishaps and luckless lives of his characters in an every-man cadence that's understated but effective. He takes joy in wordplay, dropping multi-syllable rhymes ("In the midst of all this madness, he got a bunch of hope and gladness"), darkly comic set-ups ("When it's her turn to be crucified, she'll have a glimmer in her eye") and ultimately realistic positivity ("I ain't great but I'm breathing").

Each little narrative is soundtracked perfectly. There's the power pop pep in "Glimmer" that gives Josie's tale of endurance its glow, the doo-wop backing vocals and jazzy saxophone on "Hold Up" that uplift, and the country-style guitars on "Fool Heart" that make it the closest we may ever get to an Americana/ska mash-up. And even when Gittleman relies on stalwart influences, he still dives deeper than we've heard him before. On reggae-throwback "There or Thereabouts", Gittleman brings his voice higher in the mix and bring in an organ for a moving ode to survival that shows off some wonderful Wailers influence.

And like any good ska record, there's plenty here to dance to. "I Shoulda Known" has the kind of revved up guitars and grooving rhythm section that could have gotten the cast of Clueless out on the dance floor just as easily as that early Bosstones' hit, while the summery "Treadmill" embraces island vibes and flamenco guitar perfect for a sunset dance with a person you want to have your hands on.

This is a feel-good record through and through, and a perfect drop for summer. Hold Up comes out tomorrow, June 21st on Bad Time Records, and you can listen to the pre-released tracks here!

https://open.spotify.com/album/3MwcqbU8Cpy9MpRETcnl19?si=GJ8htVYcRfmcIYOv4dOqcw