Ska music reviews

One of a handful of veteran ska bands that have kept ska in America alive through the decades, this outfit later attracted the attention of the U.K.'s fabled Mad Professor, the producer-label owner who's worked with everyone from Lee Perry to the great mic-rocker Macka B for The One That Got Away, a collection of never-released tracks and remixes. For this set, the Boston, Massachusetts-based group collaborated on the production with American Lou Giordano and other rock producers. With more focused lyrics than most that attest to the group's political engagement and familiarity with contemporary futuristic literature, Bim take their cues from the jazz-oriented Skatalites, rather than from the more diffuse energy of English two-tone ska outfits like the Specials and the Selector. This early release by the group's five core members shows why Bim Skala Bim were one of the best. Dan Vitale's compelling leads and Tim Arhelger's drums are rooted in the rock arena, but they meet the band's swelling horns and jazz-schooled ska arrangements for a smooth, upbeat sound that's paced at just the right tempo to demand dancing yet allows just enough space for one to absorb the sense of thoughtful tunes like "All for One" and the title track. --Elena Oumano