OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : Two Albums Crackle With Pop and Ska : <i> Teen review of books, music, movies and other things of interest. : </i>

Two new albums music fans will want to add to their list of must-haves: “Twice Removed” from Sloan and “Dub 56” from The Toasters. Thanks to DGC and Moon Records for the goods! “Twice Removed” provides more of a punk sound than Sloan’s debut, “Smeared.” This foursome from Nova Scotia illustrates a variety of influences, from the crisp, pop sounds of R.E.M. and the Lemonheads to the vintage rock of the Beatles.

This 12-track album has a vast range of songs dealing with life experiences and everyday social subjects and also displays a wide variety of styles. The result is an excellent melange of songs, from the Cobain-like riffs of “Deeper Than Beauty” to the Beatles-ish “I Hate My Generation” to the gripping melody of “Coax Me.”

The usual love songs with light lyrics, such as “You are surely special/I like you, I like you” in “Penpals” are common on this album. This album is surely special. I like it, I like it. It’s a well-blended bowl of everything, having a crunch pop sound with nothing gritty.

The Toasters, a band formed just as the last of the 2-Tone acts exited the scene, have released their fifth album in 10 years, “Dub 56.” The album illustrates the band’s ska roots and its “East Side Beat.”

The Toasters show a wide spectrum of sounds, including the upbeat ska of “Little Hidden Secrets,” the Jamaican roots of “Legal Shot” and the traditional ska of “Sweet Cherie.” The result is a range of ska styles rolled up into the basic theme of ska-equality. This theme is implied throughout the ska scene and by most ska bands, and the Toasters are no exception. In “Freedom” the group sings, “I don’t pick my friends by the color of their skin/or the language they speak.”

“Dub 56” is a great album by one of the greatest ska bands around today, and its recognizable sound rings true. It’s a skaboom!