Liberator

This is Liberator (Burning Heart)
by Skankin’ Dave

This is a Swedish ska band with that very European ska sound (i.e. the Busters, Mr. Review, Hotknives) who play mainly in the two-tone style with token reggae and rocksteady tunes thrown in. The seven-piece uses good horns and (the always cool soul-sounding) organ prominently on these fourteen tracks. Clean production, especially since, according to liner notes, it was “recorded Sunday through Saturday, mixed Monday through Sunday” – talk about getting it done in a fortnight! Many songs are catchy but they don’t stray to far from their formula: Simple drums, accenting horns, underlying keys, repetitive guitar licks and simple vocals/lyrics. The bass is a little light in several of the cuts. Still, a cool skanking two tone disc from Sweden’s representatives in this year’s European Broadcasting Union Festival.