The Skints: Part & Parcel - reviewed

Posted by jamie on Mar 26, 2012

The Skints

Part & Parcel – Bomber Music, 2012

21st March, 2012

Jamie

As the Skints wowed another spellbound, sweaty room, I could only nod, when one man leaned over to whisper in to my ear: “these guys just get better and better”.

It wasn’t just that it was so succinctly put: you couldn’t argue with the words, but the tone, conveying joy and disbelief at the sheer quality of what we were witnessing, and the speed at which the Skints’ star was on the rise. They were getting so much better, so fast, that it actually was difficult to comprehend.

That night at the Highbury Garage was in 2009 (!) and, since then, the Skints have just gone on getting better and better as they get bigger and bigger.

Ahead of its official release on 9th April, their second record, is, in all probability, the single most anticipated reggae album in the UK right now, and, to meet burgeoning expectation, had to be something special.

Part & Parcel goes way beyond that - it’s incredible: bravely standing astride genres to create a uniquely distinctive, and current sound that’s at once credibly, authentically faithful to the Skints’ reggae roots and yet also bravely, proudly, urban - effortlessly epitomising London in 2012 and redefining Jamaican music for the inner city in the twenty-first century.

Enjoyed in its entirety, Part & Parcel is that good. From start to finish, it oozes quality in the arrangement and execution of the boldly diverse collection of excellent songs. Confident, mature, and polished in its production and in the performances across a plethora of instruments that proves the Skints’ musical courage just as much as it does their musical prowess and across all the elements of their sound, it’s packed with wonderful moments.

Of course, not all of these songs are new, even at the first listen: Can’t Take No More has been a live staple for a while, but here, in contrast to the ubiquitous Hush TV acoustic performance or the full-on live renditions, is a stirringly soulful, reggae jam, embellished by melodica and soothing vocal harmonies.

Ratatat, before it, has also popped up all over the place as a music video, but, of course, is absolutely stunning, it’s filthy bassline and quick fire raps over sampled sirens are eerie but instantly infectious.

That the two songs are so different, and yet complement each other so perfectly, is testament to their quality and the strength of the performances and production on show here, but doesn’t go far enough to emphasise how broad the Skints’ range has become: Part & Parcel effortlessly fuses reggae and rocksteady with a punk rock attitude and glorious pop hooks and choruses, and then turns the bass up to twelve.

Once you’re done marvelling at it, it must, surely, be perfect for the dancefloor: the ska guitar parts and sun-soaked keyboard lines to the wonderful Ring Ring, for example, are infectious, first for your hips, and then, once Marcia’s vocal drops, for your heart. The lovable, peppy, poppy skank of Lay You Down, of course, is a proven live hit, instantly danceable, and, if it’s not too bold a claim, the best melody on the record. It’s also got a killer sax solo and a proper reggae drop-out.

Part & Parcel is an absolute feast for reggae fans: the sound of one of the UK’s leading underground bands growing to a new level in stature and confidence to deliver a powerhouse of a performance.

It hardly seems feasible, but the Skints have managed to raise the bar again. Amid all the clamour, just remember that this is an extremely accomplished performance of an excellent collection of songs. It deserves to be remembered as one of the very best records of its kind.

Stand-out tracks:

Can’t Take No More

Live East Die Young

Lay You Down

Sunny Sunny

Soundboy

Get Part & Parcel on CD

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Tom Craven: Letter/Diary

Posted by jamie on Mar 20, 2012

Tom Craven

Letter/Diary – Self Released, 2012

20th March, 2012

Jamie

It feels, in hindsight, as if we’ve been waiting for that first full Tom Craven album almost forever, but the good news is that it’s worth the wait and then some.

The last we heard, Tom had set his heart on creating something that could define him, and his uniquely complicated recent musical, and personal, experiences in the space of one record.

That would have to span Tom’s solo, acoustic, singer-songwriter material, and all of its delicate, candid emotional sensibilities and disclosures, and the bigger, more ambitious arrangements, recorded by a full band, that shift from a sort of delicate, emotional indie, through alt-country, and end up as a sort of melodic, post-emo, almost-epic rock album.

Somehow, Tom has managed to pull all of that together on Letter/Diary, and to do it in such a way that, while powerful, isn’t ever bombastic or overblown, but calmly, assuredly gives each of this collection of songs exactly what it wants to shine.

Talking to him, or watching him perform, it would be easy to assume that Tom Craven takes himself or his music lightly: he affably downplays any instances of showmanship and is modest to the point of seeming insecure, but, on the inside, you can’t help but feel that he takes all of this very seriously indeed.

That much is clear in the incredible attention he’s given to musical detail here, delicately, patiently embellishing songs originally intended for his solo acoustic shows with extra intricacies in the guitar parts, or, as in the anthemic full-band recording of Heads Rule Hearts, a whole extra melody.

Chances, initially a fan favourite and staple of Tom’s early solo shows as a wistful acoustic number, is included with the backing of a full band, the vocal deeper and instantly more powerful. It’s got all its original charm, and now it’s got real body behind it as well, and is an instant personal highlight: existing fans will know and love this song already, and enjoy the album version as a variation on a much loved theme. If you’re new to Tom’s music, this rendition is just as adorable just as instantly: a vintage pop song that pushes all the right buttons at just the right times and is just waiting to be loved.

Letter/Diary is remarkable not just for its quality, or the musical breadth and versatility, but also because all of those potentially disparate parts have been brought together and arranged, recorded and presented in such a way that’s genuinely cohesive as an album as well, which, given that so many strikingly different influences, ideas and experiences have gone in to it, is an achievement in itself.

All this is evident in the way that the ballsy, bitter Factory Girl is sandwiched between the much gentler, A Last Time for Everything and Last Chance Romance.

Last Chance Romance, in particular, is wonderful, polished, emotional pop: it teases, for a moment, at becoming a full-blown power ballad, and then, just where the key change would have been, cheekily disappears in to a laugh and some off-mic studio banter, left in just in case this all got a bit too serious.

It’s a delightful little song, all the same: like so much of Tom’s best work, the real beauty is in the way it neatly crystallises the problems that we all wrestle with, but that the rest of us still struggle to articulate, and does so with an emotional honesty that’s unflinchingly candid. For that, on an emotional level, these songs are immensely satisfying and instantly relatable. Neatly moving on from A Last Time for Everything, Last Chance Romance gathers all those unfinished feelings from the breakdown of a relationship together, moves satisfyingly and assuredly on, and does it with a piano and percussion.

While Nights in Camden is based more around riffs, a more standard rock song, the best moments of Letter/Diary come after that, in the form of some wonderfully delicate ballads, in particular the duet Magpie and I Never Heard the Sirens Arrive. Magpie is incredibly soft, its melody based around a simple little piano part and percussion, and the male/female vocals in beautiful harmony telling the sad story of “the taming of Johnson and his legendary beast” (the mind boggles). On I Never Heard the Sirens Arrive Tom finishes the album alone. Initially, completely alone, as his vocal begins the song completely unaccompanied, before, eventually, a full band join him, notably with some brilliantly powerful stadium-style drums that come, go again, and then return with a vengeance and a full band.

Again, Tom sings the very last lines alone, and it’s a fitting finish to the song and to the album. Letter/Diary is a wonderfully mature and complete album, rising to the challenge of bringing together all the elements of Tom’s music and his experiences, and meeting that challenge very well indeed. It’s a very varied collection of songs, brought together to tell their stories in a uniquely candid fashion that will leave you feeling vulnerable and yet somehow vindicated, reassured, and deeply emotionally satisfied.

Stand-out tracks:

Chances

Last Chance Romance

Another Short Story..

Magpie

I Never Heard the Sirens

Note: the intro to Another Short Story reminds me of the guitar line from this song.

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Erik Chandler: Writing the Wrongs

Posted by jamie on Mar 14, 2012

Erik Chandler

Writing the Wrongs EP – Rainmaker, 2012

6th March, 2012

Rosie

Best known as the bassist of fun fuelled punk-rock band Bowling For Soup, Erik Chandler shows a different side to his music in this new EP which far removed from anything heard from him before.

Tonight is the Night has an honest, softer quality than you might expect, exhibiting distinctive vocals. It’s very easy, accessible listening with an innate catchiness helped along by the reggae touches found pre-chorus. Its plain guitar riffs, solid drumming and classic rock sounds help this too and the overall sound is made all the more interesting with highly emotional lyrics (“I wish I’d never said I love you”) which contrast to the rather upbeat tones found in the chorus. Push the Pedal is similarly catchy but has heavier guitar chords. The lyrics are distinctive yet simple and therefore incredibly memorable, which seems to add a sing-a-long quality.

A change of style occurs with Hold It Together. It’s a slowed down, acoustic offering that really relies on the chorus to carry it along. This doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable, just somewhat weaker and less catchy that the first two tracks - it doesn’t exactly grab you on the first listen. Contrasting to this is Malibu Classic bringing instant chanting “woooahs” in the backing vocals and lots of clapping. The verses are supported by an incredibly prominent and catchy bass line and more punk vibes seep in throughout the song with a chorus perfect for a summer’s day.

Whilst it probably isn’t the most life changing CD you’ll ever purchase, it’s certainly is a solid and accomplished offering with appealing vocals, a clear direction and along with that you’ll find an unmistakeable sense of individuality. Older influences are however apparent throughout, giving it a distinguishing rock edge. My main issue with this record is that it’s not long enough so I don’t quite feel I’ve had a true taste of what Erik Chandler has to offer…album please!


Maroon Town: Urban Myths

Posted by jamie on Mar 2, 2012

Maroon Town

Urban Myths – Rockers Revolt, 2010

2nd March, 2012

Rosie

Until now I’d never heard of this band and I really can’t understand why, especially as they’ve been around for decades (literally). Clearly influenced by authentic Jamaican ska as well as pretty much everything else it would seem, this album comes to you from a 9 piece band providing an explosion of so many different genres from ska to rap to latin that the variation is never ending.

Opener Ya Ya (Lemme Tell Dem) really sets listeners up for the rest of the album with its infectious upbeat sounds, a real regage/ska beat with roaring harmonised horns, a sing along chorus and defiant lyrics. Second track, Lion arrives with a far softer feel, certainly calming after the last manic experience, exposing despairing lyrics giving it a deeper feel whilst maintaining the underlying ska rhythms, merged with the inclusion of violin pizzicato underneath. This along with the harmonised backing vocals is extremely soothing. This is an album built on vibrant variations.

Latin Moshpit adds a real salsa groove reflected in the peppy horns with a Mexican feel and continuous piano parts with a standard lilting rhythm throughout. This is followed by a complete contrast in the form of Wreckless which is noteworthy even if only because it contains some of the most intense and frenzied rapping you could ever hope to experience. Combine that with staccato horn parts and you have a furious track that still manages to retain its upbeat charms.

Jazz and latin vibes appearing from everywhere for their version of Watermelon Man, meanwhile Bullit is an instrumental ska driven track, displaying the brass in full form both with it’s amazing harmonies and trumpet solos, Skatalites-style. Innocent Minds exhibits some fantastic, soulful female vocals with Clarendon Calling following in a similar vein as the gradual build up of strings and quiet horns bring us to the end of this lively journey with Maroon Town.

This album incorporates almost everything you can think of and blends them in a vivacious manner, creating a thoroughly enjoyable album that almost resembles a cultural voyage. They certainly fit a lot in to just 10 songs. It really seems to push the boundaries through such a fusion whilst remaining clearly faithful to its Jamaican ska influences. If you ever wanted to know what ska/latin/rap/jazz sounds like when it’s all mixed together, now you’ll know.


Almeida: Fantastic Massacre

Posted by jamie on Feb 15, 2012

Almeida

Fantastic Massacre – Bells on Records, 2011

 

7th February, 2012

 

Rosie

 

Having gained significant praise from their ‘Masters of the Universe’ Split EP in 2010, Progressive thrash/melodic hardcore band Almeida have returned with their first full length offering, Fantastic Massacre.

They don’t exactly ease you in to their album, with their first track Kinslayer opening like a punch in the face. By no means is that supposed to be an offensive simile, but if their music is anything to go by, they want to grab your attention and not necessarily in the friendliest manner. They certainly don’t hold back at any point during the record, making at an extremely bold first offering.

This album presents a variety in every aspect, from the contrast of raw, angsty screams to the anxious rather more melodic vocals. They have high pitched, blistering riffs, which are clearly comparable to the likes of Dragonforce, then contrasting with the extremely fast paced and punk influenced drumming, clearly demonstrated in the opening of Kings Of Contempt. Even the lengths of songs vary more than any album I’ve ever seen, from just over a minute to a huge seven and a half minutes. With these constant changes, there is no opportunity to be bored, in fact, it’s more likely to make you feel somewhat seasick as it throws you about through it’s different qualities

Throughout the album you’re confronted with constant bursts of energy. It barely slows down until you reach Ice Cream Song, an instrumental offer that contrasts to everything else you encounter with its gentle acoustic guitar, which then slowly builds in the last 30 seconds until you’re returned to the upheaval that is Bale Fire. That rest, however, was definitely need it because some of these tracks are so intense that you’re practically left breathless just from listening.  

The penultimate track Reservations (III) seems to be a complete mash up of just about everything, with the tone changing entirely about two thirds of the way through, an interlude of calm before breaking back into a more hardcore setup as the metal guitars return once more for the slower, gutsy and somewhat dominating ending.  The final track By Sin of Omission displays a variety of complex rhythmic patterns within in its depths, helped along by some sporadic time changes.  Instead of ending with some form of explosion as I had expected, it just fades out, feeling like the whirlwind we’ve just experienced has disappeared whilst leaving us with the slightly unsettling feeling that it’ll clearly come back and get you when you’re not looking.

It has been said that Almeida are hard to define and I can definitely see why with their mix up of different ideas throughout and for the most part it blends in a satisfying manner rather than just descending to chaos.  What they’re doing is not necessarily groundbreaking but they seem know what they’re aiming to achieve and they’ll ensure you pay damn good attention to it!

 

Get Fantastic massacre from the TNS Webstore here.

 


Rising Strike: Bite the Hand that Feeds

Posted by jamie on Jan 27, 2012

Rising Strike

 

Bite the Hand that Feeds – TNSrecords, 2011

 

26th January, 2012

 

Jamie

 

 

Things have changed since, in 2010, Rising Strike added Tom “Bone” Maund to their line-up.  Adding Bone as a third vocalist, and, of course, on sax, has given them loads more room to experiment. 

 

On this, their first full length record, Rising Strike take full advantage of the added scope: Bite the Hand that Feeds is a gloriously addictive, adrenaline-fuelled race through nine short tracks, and one long one, of Olympic speed skacore, with sax to the fore, played by punks, at punk speed, rooted in the restless social frustration that gave us punk in the first place.

 

The disc is boisterously, inspiringly vital.  It’s not just raw adrenaline caused by the power and sheer speed of the songs, but there’s so much going on all the time that you just can’t be anything but glued to it.  On top of the rhythm section, there are three vocals, two guitars and the one sax, and, even given that, the whole comes to much more than the sum of its parts: it’s incredible how enormous they’ve managed to make this sound.

 

Boff’s work on the drums, most notably on the album’s opener Watching Our Watches, is gigantic.  It doesn’t just give rhythm, which is here in abundance anyway, but real body to the sound, rising through the sound to figure in the question/answer duels between the vocalists.  In turns, all three vocalists throat it out in true hardcore style, neatly taking turns and at times layering one-over-the-other-over-the-other like the famous onions.

If all that sounds chaotic, remember it’s all combined and delivered at such speed that it could be exhausting on your poor ears.  These songs, though are arranged and delivered sufficiently well to give each element due prominence, yet combined cohesively enough to create a sound that utterly dominates, that works together to slice right through you.  It’s a risky business, performed at speed, and has to be got just right (a bit like this), but Rising Strike have succeeded spectacularly, and the result is one of the best new records I’ve heard in years.

There’s more, too: a sax solo and guitar solo (yes, really) in Corporate Responsibility is an Oxymoron, that’s like a hair-metal one speeded up (in a good way), and Bone’s sax lines are evocative of Ben Childs’ sax parts from the early, scratty-punk-band days of Sonic Boom Six.

If there’s higher praise than that, then I can’t think of it.  With enough body in the sound to carry the tune on its own, and performed at breakneck speed, those addictive, dancefloor friendly sax lines give this behemoth of a record just enough of a twist so that it’s not only a monster of a skacore record, but distinctively, addictively catchy enough to win them lots and lots more friends.

 

 

Stand-out tracks:

Mr Fancy-Pants

Is it Solipsistic in Here, Or is it Just Me?

Against the Safe

No Strings Attached

Sane in Insane Places

Rising Strike: Bite the Hand that Feeds


Perkie: ST/EP

Posted by jamie on Jan 20, 2012

Perkie

 

ST EP – self released, 2008

 

20th January, 2012

 

Jamie

 

 

If you’re a tad surprised that, in 2012, I’m sitting in to review an EP from 2008, then there are a few reasons for that: not least the fact that I’m not just addicted, but in fact totally over-the-moon in love with it.  Until very recently, I hadn’t seen her in concert and, therefore hadn’t been able to get my hands on a copy. 

 

If you possibly can, though, you really need to get yourself a copy of this little disc: it’s only five short songs in a plain brown sleeve, but as she is in concert, Perkie’s EP is deceptively powerful and deeply, profoundly moving.

 

Perkie plays a delightfully unique brand of acoustic, solo protest piano folk, and she does it her way as well: the songs here are immediately noticeable for their incisive wit, succinctly putting the world and all her troubles in their place and talking about things that really matter in a way that’s reassuringly, disarmingly positive.  She tells it like it is, and does so with unflinching honesty, and a voice that’s as soft as warm honey and more powerful than an express train.

It comes as something of a surprise: she’s unassuming in person, and even the disc and its plain brown sleeve feel innocent and understated, but hidden in there is soft, smooth singing voice that flutes its way around the catchy little melodies like a tiny little butterfly, and then, hits you right there with great vengeance and furious anger before you’ve even realised.

It’s chin-on-the-floor beautiful, and incredibly moving, stuff, and inspiring, empowering at the same time.  You’ll come away from it blinking like you’re coming out of the cinema on a sunny afternoon. 

 

The keyboard parts are wonderful, simple-yet-effective, and Alex Johnson’s guitar parts give the more powerful songs body and a stronger, more resonant rhythm. 

 

Perkie’s voice wraps you in a warm, soft blanket.  Her tunes sit on the end of your tongue indefinitely, and her words will leave you feeling like the world can and will become a better place.  It actually feels like a better place with every spin.

 

 Perkie: CD and sleeve

 


Rude City Riot: Nothin’ But Time

Posted by jamie on Jan 13, 2012

Rude City Riot

 

Nothin’ But Time – Stomp Records, 2011

 

10th January, 2012

 

Jamie




The backlash seems, for the most part, to be over, but there are still people around for whom the word “ska-punk” exists as a derogatory label that would-be hipsters can use to denigrate anything with a horn section as diet-Reel Big Fish, as if that were a bad thing.

 

Anyone who knows anything about our music knows that punk and ska are in rude* health right now, and that plenty of new bands are out there doing their own thing.   Amongst all of this, though, perhaps it still needs to be said that there’s nothing wrong with staying true to the things that, after all, have never let us down.

Step forward, Rude City Riot.  For their first full-length album, Nothin’ But Time, the Vancouver-based septet have created a record that’s genuinely refreshing, both in the quality of the songwriting and performances and in the relaxed, unpretentious way that the music’s been put together and presented.  To top that, it’s unashamedly, infectiously catchy: packed as it is with hooks and melodies that echo some of the oldest and best loved traditions in vintage pop songwriting.

 

Rude City Riot’s sound is a mature, confident fusion of reggae, punk, soul and jazz.  They like to call it “power ska”, which, on this evidence, does exactly what it says on the tin.

Though distinctive, it’s not altogether a new sound, rather a perfectly balanced blend of all the best bits of so much other great music.  If the opening of first track Nothin’ But Time evokes fond memories of Nerfherder’s addictive theme tune to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and with it, of course, the Offspring’s the Kids Aren’t Alright) then the album as a whole is a smoother affair, closer, in its mellower moments, to the Toasters’ typically NYC take on reggae, or the Slackers, for example.

The charming It’s Raining, and the instantly lovable sunshine soul of Pray for You are stunning examples of just how effective a good melody can be: they’re absolutely lovely little songs, beautiful for their relative simplicity, and made exceptional through the sheer quality of their performances.

 

When they want to, though, Rude City Riot can rock out with the best of them.  The lovesick Gen the beers-in-the-air Victoria and the giant Same Old Story are absolutely perfect for parties.

 

In this mood, Rude City Riot bring together the soaring vocal of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, the speed and power of 5 Cent Deposit and then add big, powerful horns like Too Late Lucy.  Written, arranged and performed like this, classic, horn driven, melodic ska-punk is absolutely irresistible: instantly accessible skankalong, singalong stuff that’s perfect for partying.  Through in some perfect pop tunes, add in upstrokes wherever you can reasonably put them, and then put backing and gang vocals in all the right places, and you’ve got yourself a very fine record, right?

 

Presented with minimal fuss, Nothin’ But Time is a textbook example of just how to write addictive hit songs, and it makes it look and sound impossibly easy.  The world would be a better place if there were more records like this.

 

 

 

Stand-out tracks:

 

Bonnie & Clyde

Victoria

It’s Raining

Pray for You

25 Years

 

 Rude City Riot - Nothin But Time

 


Resolution 242: 49 Million Eyes

Posted by jamie on Jan 3, 2012

Resolution 242

 

49 Million Eyes – Self Released, 2011

 

30th December, 2011

 

Jamie

 

This is an absolute joy.  For starters, 49 Million Eyes, the first single by Resolution 242 is instantly enjoyable for its own sake.  Second, it teases that there’s more to come.  If you will, it’s at once one bird in the hand and two birds in the bush.

 

Here, the Res, Stratford-upon-Avon’s progressive, dub/punk-rock/hip-hop pioneers, have delivered another down payment on that rich promise that first made them one of the most talked about bands in the UK.

 

49 Million Eyes is immediately very distinctive: bold, and exciting in how different it is both from everything else that’s around right now and from what the Res have done before.  It’s also impressively mature for a relatively young band.

 

They’ve boldly set out on the daunting task of bringing together all the eerie splendour and progressive influences in their dub and giving it the energy of a proper punk rock track.  To repeat the trick, they’ve gone even further, embellishing the melody and drawing the song out so that all of its elements are indulged as much as they should be in a proper prog track.  And then they’ve added not just a rap, but credibly incorporated a genuine hip-hop influence in to the basslines, and, in places the guitars.

 

When this one drops, it properly detonates.  Throughout, the sound is impressively big for a four-piece.  It’s got everything.  Getting this wrong could easily have been terribly Evanescence, but instead it’s perfect: immensely enjoyable, credible and honest throughout and great for rocking out.

 

As before, there’s promise of more to come, but now Resolution 242 have raised the bar again.  What lies ahead feels even greater than before.

 

For now, we have this to enjoy.

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 49 Million Eyes

 


This Are UK Ska: Vol. 4

Posted by jamie on Dec 23, 2011

Various Artists

 

This Are UK Ska, Vol.4 – Do the Dog, 2011

 

9th December, 2011

 

Jamie

 

This is really, really exciting: the return of Do the Dog’s  This Are UK Ska series of compilations is a long time coming, but definitely well worth the wait. 

 

In the space of one wonderful little disc, the twenty two years (twenty two!)  of tireless devotion given to supporting the UK’s DIY bands get their just rewards: the list of contributors to this record reads like a who’s who of ska and ska-punk in the UK in 2011.

 

The disc itself is, musically speaking, as diverse and exciting as you’d expect.  It’s appropriate, given the brief and deliberately open-minded mission statement on the DTD website:

 

“We love ska in all its colourful guises, be it old school, laid back Jamaican style ska, bouncy 2-tone ska vibes, upbeat modern ska/pop or thunderous ska/punk!”

 

Given the enthusiasm with which DTD embrace new and different kinds of music and the rude health in which we find our scene, the potential was always there for a compilation this broad, this exciting and of such excellent quality.

 

To have pulled it all together, though, is still no small achievement.  It’s excellent from start to finish, with scorching tracks from some of the scene’s exciting new talent mixing it with the more established names.

 

Of course, you’ll get to hear new tracks from some of the bands they’ve been supporting for years: alongside the sadly defunct Smoke Like a Fish, there’s also Do the Dog favourites, Rebelation, Drewvis and Cartoon Violence.   The thing is, there are also exciting contributions from a new generation of great UK bands: keep an eye out for Miacca’s catchy Would You Like Me To Be the Cat? (unless you’re George Galloway), Copasetics’ sinister-yet-excellent Phantom Signals and the incendiary Wilsonator from John Player Specials.  Then, fall in love with Breadchasers’ brilliant epic prog-ska-rock skankalong Time to Stop.  It’s relatively light-hearted for the band, but fits perfectly on this compilation.

 

There’s so much here, and it’s all so different, so interesting and so enjoyable, that I could easily sit and type about it all day.  Every track is a highlight.

 

This Are UK Ska Volume 4 is probably the most enjoyable so far, neatly showcasing a wide variety of established and up-and-coming UK acts.  A perfect snapshot of where the scene is in 2011, it also highlights a few names to look out for in years to come.

 

Given that this was the label who first brought us Dirty Revolution, Catch-it Kebabs and the Skints, perhaps we were right to expect a lot from this disc.  It doesn’t disappoint one bit.

 

This Are UK Ska, No. 4 is available now from Do the Dog Music.