The Scorseses
Magnumopus
The Scorseses, LLC.
Magnumopus, the first LP by NOLA-Ska/rockers The Scorseses, sees the band travel down a more rugged, alt. rock-centric road then their more pop-punk debut EP Presenting…The Scorseses. The lyrics are more direct and definitive, less subtle and animated; the musician-ship is rawer, and strikes ruthlessly with a sense of fearless improvisation and experimentation. Yes, Magnumopus is the product of a band that has grown since their last effort. Fans of Presenting…, don’t fret. The Scorseses have not reinvented their sound, but taken the time to harness their confidence into a personal statement that holds nothing back. Openers “Harbinger” and “Boards” are prime examples of the bands unhinged musicianship. The drumming is noticably more technical than their earlier work; more notable though is the horn section, which sounds strikingly more like a New Orleans brass band than what you’d hear from a typical, LA-based ska-band. While this album definitely hits harder and heavier than anything they have done before, it is the slower songs that are the often the most memorable. The introspective “Bitter” – which ends in a thundering tsnuami of guitars and raging brass wailing – and the reggae cadence of “Get Some Culture” are two of the collection’s grooviest and lyrically dense songs. Magnumopus is at its most fun, though, on the fast and funky “Counterfeit Battleship” and “It’s Time to Call the Wolf." An amazing, unpredictable album from a band that was already at the top of their game. —Greg Roques