The Mob Law review

The Mob Law
Hold us Down
01.04.08

Words cannot accurately express how impressed I am with the newest from the Mob Law, titled "Hold Us Down". A unique (and for once, I really do mean unique) blend of hip hop, reggae, punk, and ska, they find themselves somewhere on the musical spectrum between Sublime, Blue Scholars, Pepper, and Public Access. Generally, when listening to similar-minded bands, I find myself noticing that although they "blend" different genres, each song will generally sound exactly the same, with the same basic recipe for putting together each track. In The Mob Law's case, however, each song has its own entirely different feel and although I can definitely hear each of the different musical influences in basically every song, they still remain separate musical entities with very different styles of composition.

Vocally, they actually do strongly resemble Sublime and although that is certainly a compliment (as Sublime is one of the quintessential ska/punk bands of the 90's), it may also throw off some listeners who find them simply derivative. If this is your school of thought after hearing the first few songs, I implore you to reconsider and continue to listen to the entire album. Although they do draw in influences from several quite noticeable genres and even more specific bands, they find ways to use their creative prowess and make each track their own. Lyrically, they also seem to blend each of the influential factors behind their music, drawing in the revolutionary aspects of underground hip hop and punk and mixing with the more chilled out aspects of reggae and ska.

For the most part, they keep the music pretty simple, as they let the vocalists and lyrics carry the band, but there are definite moments of brilliance and at several points the precision and crafting of the drumming/percussion is nothing short of spectacular. Throughout the entirety of "Hold Us Down", there is a sort of musical cohesion that is very rarely found anymore. The boys of the Mob Law work incredibly well together and it's completely apparent from the first thirty seconds of the first track. In fact, the only qualms I have at all about the album at all is that it's been nearly impossible for me to pick out a favorite song. I told myself I'd be a bit harsher and more critical with my reviews in 2008 (a sort of twisted new years resolution, I suppose), but I simply cannot find anything negative to say about them. The record is solid from start to finish and will probably be on permanent repeat for a while by the hookah in my garage. Even the six minute epic ska journey, titled "Promises" kept my attention throughout the lengthy track.

However, the most important factor behind the brilliance of "Hold Us Down" are the melodies driving each song. After only a couple listens, I've already found myself singing along, humming along, and getting the tunes stuck in my head. There's a big difference between a well crafted song, and a well crafted song that can get stuck in your head all day, and The Mob Law have created an entire album of the latter. In short: an absolutely incredible album. I love it.

Songs to keep an ear on: "Hold Us Down", "Life Worth Livin' ", "Keep On Shinin'"

Reviewed by: Brian Anderson