In the summer of 1996, Sublime dropped their self-titled album into a music scene drowning in post-grunge melancholy. What emerged was a summery mix of punk, reggae, and hip-hop that would become their magnum opus and a tragic farewell. Bradley Nowell's raw, intimate vocals become lost under the laid back feeling of the melodies. Nowell’s vocals are notably able to successfully tell a story, whether he's exploring the destructiveness of human nature in "Wrong Way" or his addiction struggles on "Pool Shark." The rhythm section of Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh show the genre hopping nature of the album, effortlessly sliding from ska-punk in "What I Got" to smooth reggae in "Doin' Time." There's a beautiful messiness to this record that shouldn't work but absolutely does. Studio chatter, dog barks, and sampled dialogue weave through pristine production, creating an atmosphere that feels spontaneous. "Garden Grove" opens the album with a hip-hop beat morphing into surf rock before dissolving into dubbed-out chaos. Most bands would kill to have just one song as iconic as "Santeria" or "What I Got," but Sublime somehow created an album that kinda plays like a greatest hits compilation disguised as a studio album. The sound of California itself is distilled into every single track which is what ultimately makes this album one which can capture a singular part of time and still be timeless.
Audrey, Jan 2025