Alliteration A-Hoy!
As the ever-so-handy press release informs me, Surrey based ska-punksters the JB Conspiracy began their burgeoning career in 'textbook fashion.' Whilst I sit and consider this audacious statement, comparing the drab food technology textbooks of my school days with the evident wonder of this 'textbook on ska,' I urge all fans of the genre to stop reading this review and buy the CD – it's a modern ska classic.
For those left with me, the undecided, the inquisitorial or the bored I shall endeavour to impart my view of both the band and debut album 'This Machine,' in the most unbiased way that I can. Yet before I do, I should mention that if you are one of those people who deride ska for its 'annoying trumpets;' stand well back from this horn intensive album, you definitely won't like it. However if you like your music to come bottled with ferocious energy, intelligence and relevance, and you don't mind what instruments it incorporates to achieve this, then there is probably something here for you.
The JB Conspiracy play ska with balls: each track on 'This Machine' is infectious, passionate and with the exception of the dub-styled 'Public Eye' and 'The Patriot,' brimming with blistering pace. Couple this with the band's politically perceptive and socially astute lyricism and you have a winning combination. Taking musical pointers from throughout ska's long history, epitomised in blending sounds evocative of early British two-tone with the manic ska-core of more recent UK acts such as Capdown, the band have carved out a unique and polished sound.
Where many ska bands match the genre's upbeat sound with uplifting lyrics, the JB Conspiracy head down a different route, taking the same bouncy tunes but combining them with biting current topics such as racism, the threat of nuclear weapons, and street-crime. Songs like 'Public Eye' comment on the irony of the Government criminalising harmless marijuana use when embarking on unlawful wars, whilst title track 'This Machine' lambastes the sensationalist media for blurring the truth. Though the band are forthright with their views, they convey them in an intelligent manner that avoids the three sins of political music; sounding corny, clueless or as if they wish to convert you to their cause.
As for this album's standout tracks, well I honestly struggle to name them. This isn't because the record is one-dimensional and all the songs sound the same; it's because the whole album is top-draw. From the satisfying dub grooves of 'The Patriot' to the horn driven anthem 'Pipe Down,' the JB Conspiracy have something for anyone that enjoys the odd skank. With the conviction of Anti-flag, the rhythm and bass of sublime and brass reminiscent of the Planet Smashers, JB Conspiracy are on course to take the ska world by storm.