The
Sidewalks have defined their own genre of “Skalternative Rock”
which is a new take on ska with some fairly obvious rock, pop, blues,
and jazz influences.
This 7 track EP, recorded, mixed, and mastered
at Big Grey Sound Studios with Jon Matthews, was released on
September 11, 2009 at Baba's Lounge.
The pace is set with “Ready,
Set, Go!”, a song written about getting warmed up and ready for the
show, followed by an equally energetic “S.O.S. From the Burlesque,”
which tells the story of a young man's trip to a gentleman's club
only to find out that his private entertainer is looking for a
relationship. “A Better Way” slows things down with a
confrontation to a friend who needs to stop being so selfish and
start treating life like a two-way street—certainly a different
sound coming from any band who flaunts the word ska in their
biography.
Picking up the pace again is the crowd favorite, “Guess
What?” which rebels against the nay-sayers in any musician's
career, which leads into the Chicago-meets-surf-meets-James Bond
smoothness of “Down Too Fast” that likens a certain romantic
relationship to a sinking ship. The title track, “Better Late Than
Never”, which had been written merely weeks before The Sidewalks
hit the studio, manages to take themes of regret and turn them into a
pumping kitchen party. Lastly, “On Empty” is a bluesy testament
to the heartbroken in need of a pick-me-up.