After nearly a decade in hibernation, all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere,
Citizen Fish reappeared in 2011 with a new record. The biggest surprise though, was what a strong return it was. Stylistically,
Goods' material doesn’t attempt to break away from the golden years in the mid-‘90s (which is usually a big red flag), but, the band is so vigorous and ripe on
Goods that their return ranks up there with some of the best rough-and-tumble albums of the third wave ska-punk era. Considering that their last seven years of recordings made a steady decline -- a downward trajectory from Flinch to
Life Size, where the band sounded like it was lost in a lifeless rut -- this is an unexpectedly muscular turn. Dick Lucas and the boys sound more spirited and more energetic than ever. Production-wise, the album shares the sound of the band’s earlier work. There are metal pedals, trumpet/trombone hits, and shouty chants. But, the songs are well-crafted speedy numbers, often to the point of sounding like instant classics, and the band seems like they are having fun. Almost as much as in
the Subhumans' days, and that’s saying a lot. ~ Jason Lymangrover