The Slackers
The Question (Hellcat)
by Jessica Brommelhoff
The Slackers, born in 1991, have been frequently lumped together with first wave ska legends The Skatalites. Many would shout sacrilege, but after a listen to the Slackers’ first album, Better Late Than Never, released in 1996, they’d chill out a bit, as the comparison is inevitable with the Slackers’ true-to-its-Jamaican-roots music. With three albums in three years, their latest, The Question, out last October, they’ve proven that they work hard enough to deserve the distinction.
The album’s 19 songs have amazingly tight rhythm and great calypso musical grooves, true to ’60s-style ska, but without sounding dated or tired. As for favorites, “Manuel” and “Mountainside” really jump out the way that “Sarah” (off Better Late Than Never) and “Watch This” (off Redlight) did. For those already fans of root ska and those exploring it for the first time (there’s more to life than Reel Big Fish, kids), this album is recommended.
(2798 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026)