So I know that ska is dead, and that we are on something like the 15th wave, but someone forgot to tell the Best of the Worst. They've put out 25 minutes of hardcore-influenced ska-punk (which sounds either excellent or horrifying depending on your taste) that leaves you wishing the album was just a little longer.

The first thing I noticed was that for a self-released album, the production is excellent. The brass stand out without being overpowering. The drums are crisp and clear, and the bass is pretty clear throughout.

The band is often balancing between punk and ska, with the first song "More Than You Ought to Know" starting with a blazing drumbeat, and "Sgt. Beatdown" beginning with essentially a breakdown before shifting into a Less Than Jake-like riff. The majority of the songs follow that formula: a mixture of punk parts with ska parts interspersed, mixed in just the right way that it never quite feels old. The gem of the album in my opinion is "When I'm Gone," which leans more heavily on a traditional ska sound, until a breakdown about two minutes in.

I'll admit I was fairly skeptical of the punk/ska mix until seeing them play live and afterwards giving the CD a spin or two, but I can honestly say the Best of the Worst is a new ska-punk band to watch.