The Vandals are one of those bands I loved before I had any idea of their significance in the punk rock genre. I first stumbled upon this album during middle school when I was basically mainlining punk records directly into my veins and it stood out for a couple of reasons. The first was how witty and sardonic the band’s approach was. Whether it was the faux biographical take of “Behind The Music” that details the band’s rise and fall from fame or the depressing love song “The New You” that details a failing relationship and the increasingly obsessive behavior of the protagonist to save it, The Vandals never seemed to take themselves too seriously. As a 13-year old I loved that. Especially when contrasted with the very self-serious nature of the stuff I was listening to at the time, The Vandals carefree approach certainly spoke to me. And then there was the band’s musicanship which even at the time seemed to outpace a lot of their contemporaries. The punk bands I listened to at the time had a lot of piss and vinegar but oftentimes sounded like they were still trying to figure out how to play their instruments. The Vandals were a different story altogether though. They sounded absolutely dialed in.
Look What I Almost Stepped In may not be the band’s most celebrated album but it’s my clear favorite from them. It’s the album that introduced me to the band and was a perfect entry point to their witty and silly approach to songwriting.
Standout Songs: “Behind The Music”, “The New You”, “Flowers Are Pretty”, “Jackass”, “You’re Not The Boss of Me (Kick It)”, “San Berdu”
