Album Review :: The Sweatshop Boys :: The Great Depression

Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor

The Sweatshop Boys :: The Great Depression :: Dirt Cult Records

I must say that I didn’t know what to expect from an Israeli band called The Sweatshop Boys and an album called The Great Depression. I think I expected something dark and heavy and serious. But man, was I wrong. This album is a ton, a goddamn ton, of fun. It is a mix of 60s pop, surf, punk, indie, alternative, and garage rock. I feel like these guys could be equally influenced by The Beatles, Hermans Hermits, The Queers, Screeching Weasel, and the MC5. Best of all, it comes together beautifully. The tracks are raw and organic with each taking on a form of its own.

These songs are catchy yet never ever light or bubble gum-y while also being distorted yet never unintelligible. Many of the tracks have that great organ sounds that so many 60s surf rock bands loved and they even incorporate the in track clapping made famous by Motown Records. Basically it comes down to, every track is super fun, they are danceable, thrashable, and sing-along-able, attributes that don’t usually fit this well together. There is a rawness in their unflinching blending of style and the fact that they do not feel like they have to fit in a predetermined style box. That freedom comes through and transfers to the listener who I will no doubt be dancing around wherever they are listening to this album.