Reel Big Fish/The Pilfers

Ska punk has its cult following, but even people who aren’t invested in the genre know of Reel Big Fish. Having been around for over two decades, their most recognizable song is, ironically, “Sellout.” And after all this time, frontman Aaron Barrett, the only founding member left in the group, has kept the band going. Its latest album, Candy Coated Fury, is a long-awaited continuation of Reel Big Fish’s golden age of Turn Off the Radio/Why Do They Rock So Hard/Cheer Up, which, after the meager sound of their later releases, is a relief. And just like the sound, the subject matter of the songs is also the exact same. Songs like “Everyone Else is an Asshole,” “I LoveYouSuck” and “P.S. I Hate You” beg the question: how many tunes can Reel Big Fish make about hating people and get away with? (Sam Mendez)