Morning ska nation...
NEW ALBUM drop by Boomtown United. (okay, this was released two weeks ago but you may have missed it) The Missouri based octet have dropped their debut album a week earlier than expected - a neat little Christmas gift.
Heard the name before? They have contributed a cover of Dawning (of a New Era) to
The Specialized Project's Check One 2 and appeared on Do The Dog Music's Ska a Go Go. They have also previously appeared on JUMP UP RECORDS Drink the Ska compilation. So we know these guys have a bit of cred, but how does their debut hold up?
The whole album has an honest, uncomplicated sound. The 2-Tone influence is obvious to hear. Bass and organ driven, Tuffer Than I gives us 14 super tracks of mid paced skankers with a neatly bouncing sound. Vocally, the delivery is clear in a soulful spoken style with some great harmonies. Wayside stands out with it's slightly faster pace and Feels So Nice is no slouch either. There's a couple of cool rocksteady tracks in there in the guise of Love You Down and Ride or Die. The title track starts with a motif that recalls Holiday by Suggs before launching into a full pace stomper.
The whole thing has a slightly The Beat sound. The whole thing really is a belter of an album - not a single duffer on there.
Atmospheric, driven, urgent. One of the best albums of 2020 and there have been some corkers this year.
Mr P
The album is available digitally from https://boomtownunited.bandcamp.com/album/tuffer-than-i with CDs direct from the band and the threat of vinyl coming soon.
