EW's GRADE
C+

Details Lead Performance: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; Genre: Reggae/Ska

This punk-reared Boston gang's playing would have to be pretty amazing to make up for Dicky Barrett's barf-bag vocal stylings. Sometimes their bombastic ''Born to Run'' — like song intros get your hopes up, but their music inevitably dissolves into thin nostalgic mush or stiffens into a slamdance straitjacket. The reggae brass-section parts seem like a corny afterthought, and the hard-drinking, urban tough-guy stance just feels tired. C+

Originally posted Oct 07, 1994 Published in issue #243 Oct 07, 1994 Order article reprints

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