An A-Political Stand of Reasons (Pound For The Sound - Capdown)

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Pound For The Sound - Capdown
Date:	21/07/08 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning use of instrumental sound, a fine display of ferocious vocal tone.

Disadvantages: I fail to think of any.

Originally known under the name of Soap; Capdown was a band that formed in 1997 and finally decided to call it a day in 2007. 'Pound for the Sound' is the bands second studio album and was released through Household Name Records in 2001. The album consists of eleven tracks and this therefore provides for 40 minutes of music. 'Pound for the Sound' is a fantastic album of skacore music and from start to finish here the sound provided by the band here is just absolutely exceptional.

From opening track 'Faith No More' right through to closing anthem '6-8-1' never is there a dull moment and absolutely every track present on this album shines through strongly as an absolutely astonishing overall musical construction. The vocals are incredibly hard hitting, ferocious in their approach and providing of a really rather excellent full bodied style of sound. Instrumentally the music also provides for a fury packed listening experience of excellence here; there's some fine guitar work, strong use of drumbeats, and excellent utilisation of saxophone sound also.

The music of Capdown blends the boundaries of the genres of ska and hardcore punk also; there's a great bite about the sound and often an upbeat ska energy also. With the track 'Strength in Numbers' for example the bands lead singer Jake Sims-Fielding belts out the vocals in hardcore fashion, all the way through however there's a fine ska upstroke guitar sound, and at certain points a sudden explosion of sax. The music of Capdown is incredibly unpredictable, always the bands sound is full of life, energy, and an absolute passion to perform. You can tell that all five members of the band are really loving the sound that is being created here; the band gives every track its all and with Capdown here there is never any holding back. At all points of this albums progression the sound created here is absolutely excellent and I fail to find fault in any area of the bands hugely hard hitting sound.

'An A-Political Stand of Reasons' is one of my very favourite Capdown songs of all time; it opens to the very upbeat and lively sound of the saxophone, at around 30 seconds in the vocals explode into action and the guitar sound also is incredibly hard and heavy here. Always there is a ska presence in the sound, the vocals possess much bite and personality, there's some crunching use of guitar, and the drum sound also is furious in its approach here. Every element of the bands sound possesses great edge and the music always is excellent; there's a great rawness about the music, a live feeling about the way in which the music unfolds and this I feel is the bands finest quality here. The music is hugely passionate and you get all the energy and excitement of a live show here; Capdown was always a band to put on a brilliant live show and with this album the live energy has really been captured and contained for all to listen to for many years to come.

Much like 'An A-Political Stand of Reasons', title track 'Pound for the Sound' is another track from this album that possesses an exquisitely fine saxophone introduction before throwing you into the true heart of the music. The track is equally excellent in its approach, another truly stunning track from this album and one that I really would recommend listening to. There's great political depth to the lyrics here, something that always is true with the music of Capdown and I absolutely love the political approach to music that the band always takes here. I'm not always a huge fan of political messages in music, the way its done with the music of Capdown is excellent however and always there is a great intelligence about the bands sound. There's great passion behind the vocal delivery and you can really tell that the bands lead vocalist truly believes in the messages that he is sending out in the music here; the lyrics are personal and spoken from the heart, this is a very endearing quality about Capdown and something that has over the years led me to a great admiration of the bands supreme sound.

If you like your instrumental music then there's a track here for you which comes in the form of 'Dub #2'. With not a vocal in sight the band here thrashes through some fine instrumental skacore sound complete with terrific guitar bite and supreme saxophone sound also. The track is hard and heavy, a very fine track to listen to; entirely instrumental and the bands instruments are here left to do all the talking. I'm really quite a fan of 'Dub #2', it's not my favourite track from the album but still one that I always do genuinely enjoy listening to from this album. All five of the bands members are incredibly instrumentally talented and this is something that is really showcased strongly here.

With the music of Capdown you often get an absolutely excellent instrumental breakdown led by the saxophone sound of lead vocalist Jake Sims-Fielding. Fantastic use of the instrumental breakdown is made in the track 'Progression vs. Punk Rock', finer use than with any other track on the album in fact and this really does lead to an absolutely stunning final minute or so with this one. As Jake Sims-Fielding is both singer and saxophonist here you'll find that instrumental sections are often presented in the bands sound; with the bands live shows it was not possible to have both sounds present at once and therefore on the bands albums very rarely will you find both vocal and saxophone sound on display at the same time. The instrumental sound of Capdown always is brilliant here, never does the bands instrumental side disappoint and vocally also the music is always excellent. Jake Sims-Fielding has the most incredibly deep and dark voice, his vocal performance possesses much power and always you can tell that the man is filled with political passion; every lyrical line is incredibly well sung out and with the bands hugely hard hitting style of sound never is a dull moment provided.

Final track '6-8-1' is one that leaves you well and truly wanting for more; it's a four minute long track of absolute hardcore aggression. It ends the album with one final moment of fury, the track builds well and provides for a fantastic close to this 'Pound for the Sound' album. It's an out and out hardcore track, no ska can here be felt to be present in the sound and not one single moment of sax sound features here. As the track comes to its close you feel an absolute moment of sadness; the album has met its end and it then took a further two years for any new Capdown music to materialise. During the decade that Capdown spent active as a band only three studio albums were released, this was not the most prolific recording act on the planet; new music was always few and far between but always you could rely on Capdown to provide some tip-top tunes.

'Pound for the Sound' is one of my all time favourite albums, I absolutely love it and never do I tire of hearing the eleven tracks that make up this second studio album from the band. The music hits hard and never is there a dull moment here; the lyrics are full of political passion, the bands sound is vocally stunning, and instrumentally also the music always has much to offer. The music possesses the positivity of ska and the incredible bite of hardcore also; it's a fine style of sound and with this album Capdown put to record an absolutely exceptional display of skacore. I fail to think of any finer skacore album out there than this, 'Pound for the Sound' is a simply stunning album from Capdown and the bands first studio album 'Civil Disobedients' also is exceptional. Personally I'd highly recommend listening to both of these fine albums from the band; surely you will not be disappointed, the music has so much to offer and never is the band short of energy. A lot of passionate power is presented in the bands sound here, this is a fine display of skacore sound and 'Pound for the Sound' is I feel an album that absolutely everyone should own in their collection.

Summary: 'Pound for the Sound' is a skacore album that all should own.