Is ska dead? No, but it smells funny. Buck has changed its name from its acronym for "Building Up Christ's Kingdom" to Buck Enterprises and has had wholesale personnel and genre changes. Consumers would be better off supporting this band by buying a copy of its self-titled project, which is vastly superior to the inconsistent Business As Usual. Buck Enterprises is no longer a ska band, as the band has followed the lead from the OC Supertones (rock with horns). "Next" and "Samaritan" are excellent representatives of the first project, but only "Barriers" is a standout track from this collection, and I hope it gets plenty of airplay at Christian rock stations. It's musically reminiscent of "Samaritan," and lyrically (a call for a breakdown between interdenominational barriers), the Supertones' "One Voice." Excellent! Other performances are predictable at best (the final track, "The Return," is lyrically sharp but could have used a better arrangement) and lackluster at worst. An example is a cover of the Beatles' "Got to Get You into My Life," to which Paul McCartney would probably smile and say "nice." Buck is an incredibly talented band, but Business as Usual sounds like it was doing business as usual instead of having fun as the band did on its debut release.
2 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #90Reviewed by Michial FarmerThird-wave ska is at long last rotting in its checkered grave, and the new millennium finds many of the rude boys trading in their upbeats for "straight-up rock with horns." Buck Enterprises, formerly just Buck, is one of these bands. The opinion floating around seems to be that their new album is reminiscent of The Altar Boys, which is as good a description as any, although they never quite…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Andy ArgyrakisBuck is back in action after a bout with annoying record label red tape, release date delays, and membership changes. Luckily, such problems turned into triumphs for the band, which seems to have picked up the pieces and moved on with a lyrically hearty and musically mature project. The opening cut "All I Need" starts out in the band's classic "high-octane rock with horns" vibe. On this release,…Similar sounding releases
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