It wasn’t that long ago when Bad Time Records announced Denver ska band Sorry Sweetheart would be joining their label, and just this week they have released their first full length album, “Warm Room, Good Friends”. I hadn’t heard of this band until the release of their single “Beyond Burger in Paradise” and was immediately hooked. After hearing the entire album, I’ve become a fan.
“Warm Room, Good Friends” honors 3rd wave ska with pop punk riffs and catchy chorus parts, with lyrics that connect to the modern generation. Imagine if Less Than Jake or Spring Heeled Jack sang about social media and DMs. Musically, the horn section is great and the vocals have a wide range that makes it easy to go from ska to hardcore, which they take full advantage of in songs like ’20 Million in 20s’ and ‘IKN4d’ (this song features Adam Davis of the band Omnigone, who has arguably perfected this vocal range).
‘Beyond Burgers in Paradise’ has a super fun horn section that’s super easy to get stuck in your head. Nathan Dantzler goes back and forth from trumpet to trombone throughout the album, but this is the song that best exemplifies the simplicity of Sorry Sweetheart’s horns. They don’t exactly stand out on their own, but they do add a significant amount of emotion to each song.
The track ‘Touch Grass’ is another standout from this album. Its emotional lyrics about mental health and ‘warm room, good friends’, plus the powerful vocals of singer Henry Navarre make this one of the best songs on the album. ‘Touch Grass’ ditches the danceable upbeat of ska for an emo/pop punk ballad that should resonate to anybody going through a tough time.
“Thicc Grinch’ is another fun ska punk tune that’s short, but definitely one of the most fun songs on the album.
The closing song ‘Late Nights in the Bug Room’ can serve as a final takeaway to listeners that you can enjoy being part of the scene (“I still think hardcore and pop punk are cool”), while still having some morals (“It doesn’t take much to learn some better principles”). I’m glad this was the final song; it has the most meaning behind it. The chorus part is going to be super easy to sing to at their shows.
Sorry Sweetheart started from veterans of ska Leslie Hackworth (bass) and Zach Barker (drums), and for almost 10 years that have held down the Denver ska scene with positivity and not being told what to do. Their first full length can be seen as a tribute to the mainstream ska scene that was on Warped Tours and MTV, while also delivering some great originality. Put this album on at the skate park or if you’re feeling nostalgic, then you’re bound to have a good time.
“Warm Room, Good Friends” is available for purchase on Bandcamp.
