Rating: 4/5 Stars

I’ve always liked ska — ‘liked’ being the operative word.

Saying that I ‘love’ ska would be taking it too far, and the more I write about it, the less I like it.

As with most broad musical genres, it has a tendency to become very formulaic after a certain point, and this makes it difficult to do well, especially for local bands not signed to major labels that may lack the material resources necessary to do something revolutionary.

However, with their newest release, Giant Squid Attack!, Dekalb’s Danger Boy proves that being signed to a major label isn’t as crucial as talent, attitude and humor.

Giant Squid Attack! is of a quality uncharacteristic of local releases. It’s nicely composed and well-produced, and it sounds professional without sounding overdone. On the whole, it’s quite an impressive EP, but of course, some tracks stood out more than others.

The first track, “Salsa Verde,” caught my attention immediately. I am an absolute sucker for catchy rhythms, and this track certainly delivered just that. “Salsa Verde” is an excellent pick for a first track, thanks to ten seconds of percussion and bass which kick off the song.

“Submission” is my favorite of the six tracks on the EP. Catchy and riff-laden, “Submission” is quite a pleasing track. The vocals fit perfectly with the sneaky vibe of this track and top off an all-around impressive 2 minutes and thirty-eight seconds.

The final track of the EP, “Sky Surfing at Phalanus Monz,” is an ominous-sounding track lasting nearly six minutes. It is almost instrumental– the spare vocals caught me a little off-guard. However, neither the vocals nor anything else seems out of place in this rambling but righteous track.

Danger Boy takes ska in a different direction with Giant Squid Attack!. Less brass, more groove– just the way I like it. With a title that alludes to such a genius work of cartooning, I’d expect nothing less of this EP.

This album can be purchased through Danger Boy’s Bandcamp and MySpace pages. A preview of the album can be streamed for free at bass player Ben Winter’s website.