I’ve been listening to ska for the last 25 years now. Up until the last few years though, I’ve had a large hole in my listening habits. Outside of some of the larger international bands like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, my listening habits were about 90% geared towards American ska bands. This wasn’t a bias I instituted on purpose, I just didn’t put enough effort in discovering international bands. I am the poster child for the American stereotype of being arrogant and self-centered I guess. I mention this for two reasons. One, it’s important to examine yourselves and identify your shortcomings from time to time. Two, this means I didn’t know anything about Brazil’s Abraskadabra until I got a pre-order email from Bad Time Records for their new album.
Bad Time has been pumping out gold for the last couple of years now, so they’ve earned the reputation that Fat and Epitaph had with me back in the ’90s. Back then, if it was a band I didn’t know, but I saw those label logos on the album, I knew I was in good hands. Seeing Bad Time’s shaded skull logo is all I need these days. So, in preparation for Make Yourself At Home to arrive, I dove right into Abraskadabra’s back catalog.
I’m happy to report, I liked what I heard, which made me even more excited for their Bad Time debut.
One of the hallmarks of most ska bands making music these days is that they’ve really started to shake away the jokey party band stereotype from the mid-90s when Third Wave hit. Don’t get me wrong, ska is still dance music at its core, but lately I’m seeing bands going back to focusing on more personal and introspective subject matters, as well as commenting on the socio-political issues of the day.
Don’t let the ska pun band name fool you, Abraskadabra is doing the same thing. With the majority of the album written during the early days of the pandemic, songs focus on the isolation, and heartbreak. Given the current political climate in Brazil, you can expect to also hear some highly political songs speaking out against the far-right regime in place in that country. One of the more blatant attacks on the current state of affairs in Brazil is “Set Us Free,” a ska punk anthem that serves as a battle cry in the fight for freedom, equality, and decency.
If you’re apprehensive about trying an international ska band, Abraskadabra has a very low barrier of entry.
The entire album is in English, so it’s a great entry point into discovering a whole new world of ska music that’s out there waiting for you. There are so many great bands outside of the United States. Ska is a global music. After experiencing Abraskadabra, seek out your next new favorite international ska band. To be quite honest, I’m ashamed it took me so long to come around to Abraskadabra, but as the old saying goes, better late than never.
Musically, you can expect a wonderful blend of melodic skate punk, anthemic pop punk choruses, ska punk, and heavy brass lines. The music on this album is fun, energetic, and poignant. It’ll make you want to dance, and it will get you thinking about how fucked up things are in the world when you take the time to listen to what they’re saying. If you enjoy bands like Kill Lincoln, Less Than Jake, We Are The Union, Big D and the Kid’s Table, and Mustard Plug, then let me introduce you to your new favorite band. It’s Abraskadabra, hailing from Curitiba, Brazil. Their new album is out now on Bad Time Records. You should go listen to it immediately.