Filibuster
Deadly Hi-Fi
Skunk
Riding the wave of success that their last release, The Means , generated, Filibuster is rock-steadily moving to hero status. They now cooked up a hot-from-the-oven baker’s dozen of new tunes will have you toe-tapping for nearly an hour.
The first point of note is the engineering/production for Deadly Hi-Fi was handled entirely by the legendary Steve Albini at his self-built studio. Always the purist, Albini also included four tunes recorded live onto 8-track to simply capture Filibuster live as it went down.
Filibuster still maintain the smooth blend of ska, rocksteady, reggae, and punk (“Dark Cavern”). This record incorporates more of the ska-steady arrangements, possibly a result of their touring with the Skatalites. Some of the vocals are all too reminiscent of Brad Nowell, which in some ways detracts from unique sound the band has worked so hard to perfect. Don’t be discouraged, though, the musicianship is excellent! From horns to drums, the band doesn’t miss a beat! Chinbone’s sax work is the bomb and Jeff Evan’s drums lay down the beat impressively.
Filibuster has truly come into its own over the last couple years. Deadly Hi-Fi may be the record that propels them to the next level. Check the band tour dates in support of Deadly at www.skunk.com. Their live shows bring an energy few bands can reproduce.
Cornerstone/RAS, 16572 Burke Ln., Huntington Beach, CA 92647-4538
