As mentioned inside our 2018 Most Anticipated Albums feature, there would be new Ballyhoo! this year featuring Eric Rachmany of Rebelution and the horn section of Reel Big Fish — Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Luckily for us, it’s not.
The band’s first release of 2018, acting as a teaser for what’s to come this year from the Maryland rockers, has us eagerly wanting more. “This Chick Is Wack” brings summer afternoons on the beach right to your speakers, even in January.
The song opens with a muted, 50s doo-wop style bassline and Howi Spangler’s “telephone” vocals, lamenting a dead-end relationship. As the song builds, the Reel Big Fish horn section, made up of Billy Kottage on trombone, Matt Appleton on saxophone, and Johnny Christianson on trumpet, trades phrases with Spangler, laying a nice foundation of full, harmonic sound throughout the song. The final verse is taken by Rachmany, and finishes strong on a horn-filled chorus and conclusion.
The 50s influence embodied in “This Chick Is Wack” is nothing new to Ballyhoo!. Their songs, namely “Let Her Go,” “Morning Sunlight,” and “Alcohol Looks Beautiful” have successfully bottled the sound and style of 50s doo-wop and mixed in nicely with Ballyhoo!’s signature blend of reggae and pop punk.
Spangler said the help from Rebelution and Reel Big Fish was flawless and not a single edit or revision was needed: “When you work with top-notch, professional people that are good at what they do, you have nothing to worry about,” Spangler explains.
Spangler says that the hook came to him one night in November 2017 and he got right to work. The song was written and recorded quickly at their home studio in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The fun, light-hearted feel of the song stuck out to Spangler and assured him of its potential as the early single.
Ballyhoo! is currently writing and recording more material alongside of “This Chick is Wack,” but album details and dates are still unreleased. Shout out to artist Noah Swartz who designed the single’s cover-art — You can stream the single on all the platforms or own it via iTunes by clicking HERE!
Listen: Ballyhoo! – “That Chick Is Wack”
Related Links:
Ballyhoo! Website
Reel Big Fish Website
Rebelution Website
Article By: Aidan Leddy
Watch: Ballyhoo! – “Let Her Go”