[rating=6.00]
Similar to the start of a one-night stand, Michael Ian Cummings met Josh Hubbard in 2011 at a party on a summer night in Los Angeles. Contrary to most intoxicated encounters, the relationship they formed would last much longer than just one night.
Cummings and his friend, Noah Rubin, had been in a LA-based band called The Dead Trees before they decided to uproot and move to New York. Hubbard lived in England and had been in a several bands previously such as the Paddingtons and, on occasion, the Dirty Pretty Things, but those came to a close and so Hubbard boarded a plane for New York City.
He met up with Cummings and Rubin in the city and, knowing that he would only be in the States for a month and a half, immediately forced them to book shows and start a band. The group teamed up with a local bassist, Dan Burke, and started working on new songs while also playing covers of the Pixies. Thus, SKATERS emerged into the New York music scene. They soon found themselves signed to Warner Bros. Records and recording their first album with John Hill (of Santigold, Wavves) at the Electric Lady Studios. This was the same studio used by such legends as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon and many others.
New York seemed to be right for SKATERS since it was New York that had been home to the 1970’s punk bands they admired and were influenced by. Their debut album, Manhattan, draws upon their lives and experiences in NY. Manhattan consists of 11 tracks that compile to offer a glimpse into the city itself.
The album opens with the rattling sounds of subway bustle and then rumbles its way into the quaking, thrashing song “One of Us,” that vibrantly recalls the events of a wild night out. “Deadbolt” is also a clear stand out, having been released earlier as a single. It starts out with Cummings’ voice sounding deeper and more ominous, then the suspense steadily builds with a fast-paced heartbeat of desperation that finally crescendos into a cry for redemption.
While most of the album consists of fairly straightforward garage punk rock, there are a few refreshing exceptions. “Band Breaker” for example takes a reggae-rock route that shares a likeness with The Clash’s version of “Police and Thieves.” But “Schemers” returns the band to their familiar Arctic Monkeys-like sound.
However, something did seem to be missing from the album. For a band living the raw, untamed New York party lifestyle, they are missing a certain edge. They are up-tempo, but not heavy. They are loud but clean. They are cool but not badass. “Nice Hat” is maybe the only song on the album that actually captures the pure, rowdy, aggression of punk. Not to detract from the fact SKATERS demonstrate that their music possesses a handful of different styles. Manhattan certainly seems to be a good kickoff, but as with most new bands, they still have room to grow. The album closes with the song “This Much I Care” and the line, “I just want to go out for your money,” could be a jab at city kids’ values or a confirmation of the high-speed fun of city life that teaches the young to eschew guilt and revel in pleasure.
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