Reviewed by Elliot Rose

2011 saw the release of Indie Vision Music's second compilation of (mostly) independent ska tunes and we are finally reviewing it. I never noticed before the phrases "out-of-tune" or "poor sound quality" in the definition of "ska", but that's certainly a trait that many of the 28 tracks here share, especially in the latter half of the compilation. Regardless of genre, music needs melody, which again is something this collection is seriously lacking and only emphasised by shaky, shouty vocals. Nothing can be taken away from the musicianship however - in particular the catchy brass motifs - though in this new century there is a tendency to increase the tempo and guitar distortion to unnecessary levels. Still, if you're really into Two Tone meets punk sounds you might want to investigate October Light, Blood & Water and Send Out Scuds and it has to be said that the collection starts off positively with a good half-dozen songs; "Adonai" by The OC Supertones and "Love Revolution" by Good Weather Forecast (which I actually found myself joining in with) being very enjoyable. Also, the syncopated rhythm in sporadic tracks such as Tiki Joe & The Bamboo Band's "Sing Along" was actually a rare sound for sore ears. If you're looking for a set of bands to replace the gone-but-not-forgotten Five Iron Frenzy or even the underrated The Ws, you won't find them here.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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