The Scrub Ups – ‘Thought Bubbles’ [Album Review]

New York-based ska punk outfit The Scrub Ups released their debut long player, Thought Bubbles, at the beginning of 2026. The album is dedicated to Mikal “The Virgin” Reich. And it’s well worth listening to.

According to the band, “‘Thought Bubbles’ came out of loss, history, and the need to keep moving. After Barbicide and after losing Mikal, we didn’t want to make a museum piece or a nostalgia record. We wanted to take the spirit of what we had been building and let it mutate into something stranger, warmer, and more human – ska rhythm, punk humor, folk instruments, country textures, and a band where everybody’s voice actually matters.”

The Scrub Ups is made up of Brendog Tween on guitar and vocals, David Friedlander on pedal steel and vocals, Greg Insero on drums and vocals, Ian Meredith on banjo, melodica, and vocals; Irena Jaroszewski on bass and vocals, Beth O’Donnell on guitar and vocals, and Adam Kotok on mandolin, with contributions from Buford O’Sullivan (trombone, melodica).

Members’ histories include playing in Mephiskapheles, Barbicide, Murphy’s Law, Cracker Snatch, Beowulf, Vince Welnick’s orbit, and the NYC punk/ska/roots underground.

Thought Bubbles was recorded by Matt Ryan at HomeFront Studios, mix-duced by Agent Jay Nugent and The Scrub Ups, and mastered by Paul Ayriss of The Specialized Project.

Suggested entry points on the album include “Unlove You,” the opening track, which blends rockabilly and punk elements with country flavors into an upbeat melody steeped in vintage harmonics, like Talking Heads covering George Strait.

On “Enemies,” the band dips their toes into a one-drop ska rhythm topped by a skiffing banjo. “The Scrub Up” merges punk, country, and surf rock into a driving tune highlighted by a dazzling, unusual guitar solo and potent vocals.

The Scrub Ups, photo courtesy of the band

The jazz-like intro to “Rubberneck” shifts to cowpoke punk tinted with filaments of ska, resulting in a melody that conjures up vague memories of Enzo Morricone. A fat bass solo is both surprising and effective.

Beaucoup ska tangs give “I Get Mad” a grand rolling motion, while the vocals present urgent timbres. Whereas the delightful “See You All In Mexico” offers listeners an entirely new genre: a ska-sea shanty.

With Thought Bubbles, The Scrub Ups deliver a masterpiece of compelling and contagiously innovative music that’s never boring.

Thought Bubbles Track Listing:

1. Unlove You (Agent Jay Mix)
2. Enemies (Agent Jay Mix)
3. The Scrub Up (Agent Jay Mix)
4. Barbicide-Chinex Apparel (Agent Jay Mix)
5. Jezebel (Agent Jay Mix)
6. Bloodfall
7. Rubberneck
8. I Get Mad
9. I Don’t Remember
10. See You All In Mexico
11. Ceci N’est Pas Une Song

Run Time: 33:47
Release Date: January 16, 2026
Record Label: Independent