Record Label: Do The Dog
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Ahhh. Some good old-fashioned throwback trad-ska from England. Wherefore have thou been?

Rebelation is a 26 piece ska/reggae band from jolly England. Actually, there are only 10 members in the band but I was close. “Pounds And Pence” is only a teaser mini album but was good enough to merit at least a few listens in a row. There are only 6 songs on “Pounds And Pence” but they are all good quality and the disc still manages to clock in at more than a half an hour. I’m a big fan of early ska and of the throwback stuff that the Slackers or Hepcat play and Rebelation are comparable in sound to both. There sound is very rootsy and relies heavily on horns and bass. The band tries to keep things simple and have more of a slow reggae vibe on most of their songs. That’s not a knock against them because the musicianship is very good. I really like the horn parts when they appear in the songs. They kind of lift you away. They are really good. I also like the fact that there are alternating male and female vocals on a few of the songs. It’s a good change up.

I didn’t have any problems at all with Rebelation other than the seven minute instrumental but that’s because I don’t like instrumental stuff that much. There are a lot of times on this album where I get confused and I think that I’m listening to the Specials. The vocals and certain parts of songs sound similar to some of the earlier Specials stuff. Ride Again is one of the best examples. It has a slow, almost methodical sound to it that is very reminiscent of “Doesn’t Make It Alright” or “Too Hot”.

Overall, I would really like to pick up a full length from Rebelation. They have a Specials meet the Slackers sound that is music to my ears. If you don’t think that there are many trad-ska bands out there, then head on over to Rebelation’s website and give them a listen. It’s good to see that there are better things coming from England than the Darkness.

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Notable Tracks: Reaching, Pounds and Pence, Ride Again
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