After six studio albums under their skinny leather belts, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have found themselves back at an indie label. The perplexing part of this equation is these once and future rude boys from Boston have never sounded better or more ready for prime time; their metal-ska punk has been honed to a fine, serrated edge, with much of the furious posturing of years past gone. Always a tight and flashy band, this time out the Bosstones have spent considerable time crafting a set of dynamic lyrics that are cinematic in scope, with a barely hidden moral center that shines brightly. Most of the tunes are small narrative slices of life that might have been "ripped from the headlines," like the gritty, ska-infused "Mr. Moran," based on the life of Mafia turncoat Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Bravano, who testified against mob boss John Gotti. The dark subject matter is skillfully integrated in the almost childlike sing-song delivery, with the occasional explosive expletive as reality check and a nod to subtle irony. Others tunes are cautionary tales, like the hard-charging "You Can"t Win," which warns that there are different rules for normal folks and rich types: "They"re wide awake while you"re still in bed / They count the money while you count the sheep." They return again to this theme of the eternal war of "us versus them" on the acerbic "Punch Line," finally settling all questions of personal inequity on the poetic and uplifting "Everybody"s Better." This standout song could have ambled off a Jamaican beach, with its casual rhythms and breezy horn section, but once again behind the deceptively simple melody lies profundity: "To be king, you don"t need a castle… A true king rules without a crown." On this album, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones truly earn their second modifier and show themselves more than able rule all that they survey. --Jaan Uhelszki