Who doesn’t like a good ska-punk record, but you know what’s even better? A great ska-punk record. Vending Machine from San Francisco’s Sad Snack is just that: nine horn-driven ska songs that remind me of why I fell in love with ska-punk in the first place.
From the first buildup in the opening track, “Survive This,” Sad Snack feels more horn-heavy than a lot of the ska bands I’ve heard lately. It’s a strong opener. If you were judging this album by the staples of ska, Sad Snack hits them well. It’s hard to single out a few tracks as highlights because all of the songs are fantastic. However, I will say that “Vending Machine” is my favorite.
Smack dab in the middle of the record is “Nervous Jam,” an instrumental that gives a nice little buffer between “Vending Machine” and “The Story Doesn’t End.” The songs on Vending Machine are wordy in a good way. The second side continues the strong wordplay and emotion that the first side did. Closing song, “Garbinger,” is a perfect example of this.
A lot of the songs have serious subject matter despite their mostly upbeat sounds. Ska doesn’t always have to be peppy, but it doesn’t need to be when it’s this well put together. The punk in the ska-punk of this record feels more pop punk and emo in some spots than straight punk rock, and that’s not a bad thing. It lends itself well to their sound.
The clean guitar sound stands out from other releases I’ve heard this year. While there’s nothing wrong with distorted ska chords, sometimes it’s a little much. I also like the back and forth between male and female lead vocals. It’s been a minute since I heard a band do that well, let alone a ska band.
This was my first Sad Snack record, and it’s sure not to be my last. Vending Machine is a fantastic addition to the music released this year. My only complaint is that it’s too short. If I had a little more time with it, it might have made it into my top albums for the year. Do yourself a favor and run, don’t walk, to this album.