Rancid’s 1990s catalog is a unique beast. It’s Clash-influenced street punk. On paper it sounds highly derivative, but its heart always shined through making it stand out in a hard to quantify way. Tim Armstrong’s songwriting is the foundation, but it’s his one-of-a-kind drawl paired with Lars Frederiksen’s vocal tradeoffs that makes it shine. It’s also why I was leery of a covers album of the 1995 …And Out Come The Wolves record. Can other bands replicate the original emotional depth or will it just sound like verse-chorus-verse going through the motions? To add to the challenge, there are 19 tracks here, which is a lot of different voices to pile into a single-concept compilation and have it feel cohesive.
I’m very surprised to say this tribute works. The artist selection and curation, of course, plays a big role, but it’s also a testament to the original songwriting. For the most part, the bands add subtle twists to the originals without major reworks. There are a few genre changeups -- some work, some do not -- but most are fitting. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to say adding more ska to a Rancid song is a winning formula and, as people talk about the re(re)birth of ska nowadays, it’s no surprise that …And Out Come The Lawsuits has a bit more upbeat than the original.
I was only familiar with a handful of bands on here in advance: Worriers, Sarchasm, Link 80/Omnigone for the most part, but those names all give good context as to what’s included: contemporary DIY punk with some ska influence/roots. Okay, Worriers don’t fit that bill, but “Old Friend” also appeared on their covers EP last year. A few of the songs are pretty lo-fi.
I like the updated take on “Listed M.I.A.” (Matamoska), the acoustic “Daly City Train” spin (Matt Moua), and I think “You Don’t Care Nothin’” (School Bus Driver) pops out the most, speaking of the covers that took the most liberty. On the flip side, “She’s Automatic” (Vantana Row) feels lost to me, “Ruby Soho” (Pretty Frankenstein) feels like the wrong tone (though I kinda dig the theremin or whatever that is) and, while I realize it’s absurd to complain about the vocals on a Rancid song, I just couldn’t handle hearing “Avenues & Alleyways” (Adult School) in a Weird Al-pitch.
Normally a record like this has a bunch of mediocre takes a few flat-out turds. This one is solid all around, which I think speaks to both the original material, the artists contributing, and its curators/production team. The addition of horns on a few tracks gives it extra pop while, in contrast, a few of the slower moments give a deeper energy that actually helps the flow from start to finish. I was expecting this to be “an interesting listen,” but it turns out to be an album I enjoy.
