The Slackers: The Great Rocksteady Swindle (2010)

I'll just start with a full disclaimer: I love the Slackers. They can do no wrong in my book and The Great Rocksteady Swindle is no exception. There aren't many bands playing ska these days and even less that do it in a traditional style without mixing in punk influences. The Slackers are such a band but they also branch out into rocksteady and reggae with equal skill, all the while mixing in a heavy dose of soul. This is also the most collaborative record the Slackers have ever made, with all 6 members getting at least 2 writing credits.

"How It Feels" kicks the album off and does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the rest of whats to follow. "Because," "Cheated," "A Long Way Off" and "Don't Look Back" all are in same vein, with laid-back rhythms and keyboardist Vic Ruggerio's spoken/singsong vocals that fit the music perfectly. While those laid-back rhythms are the norm, there are some excellent exceptions as well. The soul stomp of "Thank You" could easily fit on a Stax record from the late 60's and the album closing "The Same Everyday" could be the best song Toots Hibbert never wrote. Trombonist Glen Pine takes the lead on 3 songs and his soulful style is a nice contrast with Ruggerio's rougher vocals. "Anastasia" and "Daddy" are both beautiful tracks with great melody's. "Bo Evil" is the most rockin' tune here and Pine really gets to let loose, giving the album a nice change of pace.

The entire band has been together for quite a while now and it really shows in their musical interplay. Pine and saxophonist David Hillyard make up one of the best horn sections in ska today with Hillyard's solos being constant highlights. The rest of the band (guitarist Jay Nugent, bassist Marcus Geard and drummer Ara Babajian) keep the rhythms tight and the beats flowing extremely well without being overly flashy.

While most of the the music sounds like it could have been recorded in Jamaica circa 1968, the lyrics are thoroughly modern. "Sabina" tells the affecting story of an abused woman who starts a new life in Iraq. "Tool Shed" is directly related to today's American economy and "Mr. Tragedy" is a darkly comic look at a melodramatic person who's always threatening to commit suicide. Most of the rest of the tracks deal with relationships and the inevitable mistakes we all make in them.

The Great Rocksteady Swindle might not add anything new to the Slackers canon but it's another rock solid and thoroughly enjoyable album. There's nothing even resembling a bad track included and it flows remarkably well. It's a perfect soundtrack for a warm summer day with a cold beer and good tunes.

Rating: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. "How It Feels" - 3:38
2. "Because" - 2:53
3. "Mr. Tragedy" - 3:48
4. "Sabina" - 4:18
5. "Cheated" - 4:20
6. "Daddy" - 3:10
7. "A Long Way Off" - 3:35
8. "Bo Evil" - 3:02
9. "Tool Shed" - 3:15
10. "Ain't No Sunshine" - 3:55
11. "Don't Look Back" - 4:23
12. "Anastasia" - 3:51
13. "Thank You" - 2:47
14. "The TV Dinner Song" - 3:20
15. "The Same Everyday" - 3:44