Life Sucks...Let's Dance!

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Life Sucks...Let's Dance! | type = studio | artist = [[Reel Big Fish]] | cover = ReelBigFish_LifeSucks.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|2018|12|21}} | recorded = | venue = | studio = Pot of Gold Studio<br/>[[Orange, California]] | genre = [[Ska punk]] | length = 44:32 | label = [[Rock Ridge Music|Rock Ridge]] | producer = Aaron Barrett | prev_title = Happy Skalidays | prev_year = 2014 | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Extra chronology| | artist = [[Reel Big Fish]] studio | type = studio | prev_title = [[Candy Coated Fury]] | prev_year = 2012 | title = Life Sucks...Let's Dance! | year = 2018 | next_title = | next_year = }} {{Singles | name = Life Sucks...Let's Dance! | type = studio | single1 = You Can't Have All of Me | single1date = October 12, 2018 }} }}

'''''Life Sucks...Let's Dance!''''' is the ninth studio album by American [[ska punk]] band [[Reel Big Fish]], released on December 21, 2018, through [[Rock Ridge Music]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.punkrocktheory.com/releases/reel-big-fish-life-suckslets-dance|title=Upcoming Releases – Reel Big Fish – Life Sucks...Let's Dance|work=Punk Rock Theory|date=October 15, 2018|accessdate=November 4, 2018}}</ref> It is their first album since 2012's ''[[Candy Coated Fury]]''.<ref name="Alt Press">{{cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/features/reel-big-fish-you-cant-have-all-of-me-new-song/|title=Reel Big Fish release track from first album in six years—watch|work=[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]|last=Campbell|first=Rachel|date=October 12, 2018|accessdate=November 4, 2018}}</ref> It is supported by the lead single "You Can't Have All of Me".<ref name="Alt Press"/>

==Recording== The band began working on the album in January 2018 at engineer David Irish's recently built Pot of Gold Studio in [[Orange, California]].<ref name="Alt Press"/> Frontman Aaron Barrett stated that "Recording the album with this lineup was really fun" and the album will have a "little pissed off-ness in there and some sarcastic, funny lyrics as usual [...] Also, I just got married, so there might be a few sappy love songs on the album, too. Yuck!"<ref name="Alt Press"/>

Trumpet player John Christianson also said to fans about the album that "We're going to make you laugh, we're going to make you dance, we're going to make you raise your middle finger. We're going to make you forget about your problems and live."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theinertia.com/music-art/reel-big-fishs-johnny-christmas-on-the-end-of-the-iconic-vans-warped-tour/|title=Reel Big Fish's Johnny Christmas on the End of the Iconic Van's Warped Tour|work=The Inertia|last=Schmidt|first=Kasey|date=August 4, 2018|accessdate=November 4, 2018}}</ref>

==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = Aaron Barrett, except where noted | title1 = Life Sucks... Let's Dance! | length1 = 2:46 | title2 = Pissed Off | length2 = 2:58 | title3 = You Can't Have All of Me | writer3 = Matt Appleton, Daniel Tieger, Aaron Barrett | length3 = 2:44 | title4 = In Love Again | length4 = 3:31 | title5 = Tongue Tied and Tipsy Too | length5 = 1:46 | title6 = Bleached Thang, Baby | length6 = 4:46 | title7 = Another Beer Song | length7 = 2:05 | title8 = [[Bob Marley]]'s Toe | length8 = 2:33 | title9 = Ska Show | note9 = [[The Forces of Evil]] cover | length9 = 3:15 | title10 = The Good Old Days | note10 = The Forces of Evil cover | length10 = 3:40 | title11 = G.D. Beautiful Day | length11 = 3:23 | title12 = I Should Know by Now | length12 = 2:56 | title13 = I'd Rather Get It Wrong | length13 = 3:40 | title14 = Walter's Highlife | length14 = 4:12 | total_length = 44:32 }}

==Personnel== *Aaron Barrett - [[guitar]], [[lead vocalist|vocals]] *John Christianson - [[trumpet]] *Derek Gibbs - [[bass guitar|bass]] *Matt Appleton - [[tenor saxophone|saxophone]], [[baritone saxophone]], [[backup vocalist|vocals]] *Billy Kottage - [[trombone]], [[Hammond organ|Hammond B3]], [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes]], [[Piano|upright piano]] *Ed Smokey Beach - [[drums]], [[percussion]] *David Irish - [[backup vocalist|vocals]]

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2018) ! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position |- {{Album chart|BillboardIndependent|26|artist=Reel Big Fish|rowheader=true|access-date=January 8, 2026}} |}

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:2018 albums]] [[Category:Reel Big Fish albums]] [[Category:Rock Ridge Music albums]]