Ska bands have stood as the lucrative offspring of less prestigious labels-- Mojo Records (Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish), No Idea Records (Less Than Jake), and even to a certain extent, MCA Records (Sublime)-- ever since ska really hit the big time in 1996. But most of the notable ska acts today are bastardizing and distorting the genre in ways that make most traditionalists shiver. But the kiddies love the shit. So why not give the ska- hungry youth of America what it wants? And if responding to this demand happens to result in more notoriety for your label, maybe even a hit- single, even better! If any band is likely to boost Fat Wreck Chords into the mainstream playing field, it's the Mad Caddies.

The industry probably classifies this group as a punk-ska outfit because they occasionally combine distorted guitars with their hootin' and tootin', but the punk element is scarce and certainly not the half- ration that the term "punk-ska" implies. Nevertheless, these boys get the bodies bumping, alternating between allegro and largo grooves to appeal to both frenetic and romantic types.

"Road Rash" begins the album with finger- snapping fun. At this point, the vibe is very close to Goldfinger, sans the overt vocals that were so reminiscent of Green Day's Billy Joe. Now, typically, ska band attempts with aggression sound hollow and unconvincing, but "The Gentleman"-- the only song remotely close to punk on the album-- handles the charged emotion with panache. Crack- infested circus warriors break out for "Monkeys," an entertaining diatribe against tough- guy mentalities.

The remainder of the album plods familiar ground, but the Mad Caddies handle it with exceptional musicianship, all the more impressive in light of how young they look (according to "Road Rash," the singer has walked this earth for no more than twenty years). The horn section is especially capable, scurrying around their musical backdrop with the alacrity of a hunted bunny.

If Duck and Cover gets into the hands of the same people now eating up Sublime and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, their commercial success is virtually guaranteed-- That is, unless people finally get fed up with commercial ska (a point of exhaustion that is long overdue), a possibility that the Fat Wreck crew must have considered.

-Kevin Ruggeri