CATBITE JOINS FORCES WITH FALL OUT BOY’S PATRICK STUMP FOR SKA BANGER “TIRED OF TALK”
In Ye Olden Times (the aughts), every rock (and adjacent) chart topper featured the soulful croons of Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump. Now, Catbite, one of the most exciting bands in modern ska, has enlisted the legacy singer for their latest single, “Tired of Talk.” Equally relatable and sultry, the song thrives on the strengths of both collaborators, blending Catbite’s signature energy with Stump’s well-honed and occasionally unconventional musical instincts.
The girls who get it get it! Catbite has been pushing ska forward, and Stump’s love for the genre has been no secret. He’s been weaving ska influences into his work for years, particularly in his 2011 solo LP Soul Punk. Now, he gets to fully embrace that passion, hopping back on the horn section AND throwing out f-bombs—both of which are terribly underutilized skills in his main gig.
Most striking is how seamlessly Brittany Luna and Stump’s vocals intertwine, a crucial element in a feeling-centric genre like ska. Luna is a powerhouse vocalist and lyricist, carrying the single’s resonant message of exhaustion with the concept of gossip at the forefront that so many can relate to. The single is about moving forward authentically without others’ opinions in your ear, and it hits hard! Her tone is silky smooth, commanding on its own yet perfectly complemented by Skatrick Stump. There’s no competition or comparison, but rather, it’s a display of two distinct artists working at the same level, locked into the same groove.
The synergy doesn’t stop at vocals. Stump is credited as a co-writer, and his touch is present throughout, from the undeniable melodic hooks to the funky chorus pedal contrast against the ska groove. I may be a wee bit (okay, very) positively biased, but it shows when he can see “it” in an artist like Catbite. But at its core, this is still a Catbite song through and through.
Whether you’re skanking in the pit or a ska novice, “Tired of Talk” is easily the song of the season. Consider me a Catbite stan now.
Ska now more than ever.