There were several things that I loved about ska when it caught my attention back in the 90s. This album ticks all those boxes and then some. Upbeat, rocking, smooth, mellow, great lyrics, all on one band's record.
Not simply an interpretation of an existing work, like many other jazz masses, but a new one from a modern perspective, in the structure of a traditional mass.
The extra tracks that round out the album are excellent, too.
Driving, compelling, thematic. I keep cutting superhero montages in my head while I listen. Explosions in space, futuristic cities, tender moments before the storm. So good.
Africanfuturism in sonic form.
Rhythms catch and won't let go.
It cascades with harmony and dissonance, flowing from one to the other, flawlessly, seamlessly.
