Adding weight to the argument that says Do The Dog is the most consistently impressive UK label at the moment is ‘Good Time Trouble’, the new album from Leicester’s ska mob. Taking a more trad route compared to Duff Muffin‘s ska-punk frenzy or Smoke Like A Fish‘s more 2-tone vibe, this is a solid album that manages to sit flush with DTD’s apparent desire to both update and resurrect the ska scene.
‘Blurred TV’ and ‘Out On The Border’ glide along with the urgency of a cloud, and with an irresistible charm that colours the whole album. ‘Good Time Trouble’ is a very understated collection of songs that seeps under your skin, partially because I’m a ska fan anyway but mainly because it’s so well constructed. ‘Blurred TV’ in particular slips by in a fug of purple smoke, smooth enough to banish even the greyest of moods and as such succeeds in being one of the most effective tracks on display. There seems to be no danger in the world of The Splitters, it’s all a case of getting on with everything in its own rhythm – when ‘Work Faster’ picks up the pace the effortless laid-back vibe still anchors the song.
Could this album tempt a non-adorer of ska? Perhaps. When I mentioned earlier that ‘Good Time Trouble’ was well-constructed it’s a facet of the album that only becomes obvious after repeated listening, because the brass is utilised so effectively that it’s easy to take the music as a whole without realising when new sounds are introduced. What this suggests is that The Splitters are so accomplished at playing this brand of ska that they’re able to get on with it subtly and not have to resort to the cheap tricks of a band that hasn’t yet found their sound.
Obviously, as an album, it could be seen as being a touch repetitive, most noticeably on ‘Stolen Receiver’. It’s not a poor song but doesn’t have the same punch as the rest of what’s on offer here, and breaks the tone of ‘Good Time Trouble’ by raising the tempo without adding any really effective moments. This is a fine trad-ska album, and one that could win them some new fans, as long as they’re open minded enough to give it a chance. Or, to paraphrase, if you like the odd smoke, you really should get this.
Ben
www.splitters.co.uk
www.dothedog.com