Those of you missing the funked-up ska of Sublime *and longing for a band with the same cool vibe and a vocalist who can match the smooth crooning should look no further than Hawaii sextet *Go Jimmy Go. Although focussing more on their ska elements and introducing some cool rocksteady beats, _‘Soul Arrival’ _cannot fail to get you jiving along to it’s laid back grooves.
Instantly memorable songs like the title track, ‘Going Solo’ _and ‘Undercover Brother’ _have a tuneful warmth that draws you into their playful, fun-loving milieu and doesn’t let you free until you’re grinning from ear to ear and jiving along.
Yep, this record is very special indeed, and where most ska records can tempt the odd yawn mid-way through this is just pure class throughout. From the JSBX-flavoured ‘In-Between Times’ _(along the lines of ‘Magical Colours’) to the boy-girl love song ‘Pretending’, with guest vocals from the Dance Hall Crasher’s Karina, to the scorching Hawaiian-esque surf-bounce of ‘Bang The Skillet’ _with it’s slide-guitar solo and cowbell ‘Soul Arrival’ has ‘classic’ written all over it.
No matter what your music tastes, this is one record that everyone should own.
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8Mat Hocking's Score