Royal City Riot – Coast to Coast (Megalith)

It’s clear from the first track of Coast to Coast, the second album of Long Island’s Royal City Riot, that they’re a live band. “Rhythm” and many of the following tracks build in the choruses and shouts that make an audience want to sing along. Though they’re worked in on the album sounding a bit slicker than they would live, you’ll find yourself chanting along anyhow.

Coast to Coast is partly an album of love songs, with song titles like “Til’ I Die,” “Sweet Maria” and “Longing for You,” and partly a travel-themed reflection of the title.  With the typical ska upbeat often punctuated by a stomping on-beat, many tracks are just more evidence of how much East Coast ska has gone back to soul and R&B for inspiration.

There are a lot of small accents that make this album fun. Slide guitar somehow snuck into “Longing For You,” where you might have expected to hear saxophone. It’s an especially nice track, and a great example of the kind of song Royal City Riot does best: a moderate tempo, solid horn work, and the occasional surprise.