This album came out back in 2001. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
No wonder these guys feel alone — they’re in a ska-punk band! These days, you either have to be incredibly gutsy or incredibly crazy to still be on that musical bandwagon.
Having said that, I’ll give this New Jersey septet the benefit of the doubt and put them in the first group. Certainly, gutsy is as good a word as any to describe their sound, which is a pumping, high-energy hybrid of herky-jerk and hardcore. What really distinguishes Catch 22, though, is their precision. Unlike party-oriented acts that sacrifice musicality for showmanship, these guys obviously view quality as job 1 — their rhythms never waver, their harmonies and backup vocals are pitch-perfect and their hornwork would put a smile on a jazzman’s face. I’d say they definitely stand out from the pack — if there were still a pack to stand out from.
