VERVE, VERSATILITY

“IN YOUR FACE.” Fishbone. Columbia. In your face, indeed. Fishbone is as confrontational as any hard-core punk outfit, but with a smirk rather than a scowl. What has made this band one of the most exciting and popular acts on the local scene, though, is that its attitude is backed up by astounding musical verve and versatility. In the year-plus since its debut EP, Fishbone has added maturity and variety to its already enticing rock-funk-ska mix. That’s not to say that this is any less rude than the earlier record. Frantic juvenile male odes to the pleasures of large women (“Cholly”) and of the self (“Knock It”) are as nasty as--and funnier than--anything Frank Zappa has come up with in years. But the thoughtful probes into adulthood offer new dimensions to the group. The relative tranquility of these cuts makes the more familiar par- tee feel of the rest of the album even more effective.