Reggae outlaws The Skints return with their eclectic new album ‘Swimming Lessons’. Opener and title track ‘Swimming Lessons’ paddles with a Lily Allen armband before it peforms running bombs into the shallow end. The Reggae light sound is penetrated by a Rock riff before the steel drum beckons it back to its roots and repeat. The added spice of snarling hard Rock guitars should add rather than take away from the backbone of the song, however, it resonates with an, everyone in the pool ideal. Next up is The Specials circa 2019 sounding ‘Restless’ features Reggae revivalist Protoje who adds some Jamaican punch to proceedings. ‘Gets On Top’ misses the board with its Pac-man sounding backing blip/beats and hollow delivery while ‘New Kind Of Freind’ is the perfect Sunday afternoon post-pub garden cut. ‘This Is An Interlude’ has a suburban summer breeze texture while ‘What Did I Learn Today’ is a mere Reggae skimming stone from the Ska-Punk beach.
The Indie riff scramble of ‘The Island’ is smothered in Wonk Unit gravy, political pavement punk. Prom closer ‘I’m A Fool’ slow dances across the gym floor as the deep drawn ‘Armageddon’ (Featuring Runkus) blows thick smoke out of lazy lungs and the trance-inducing backbone is an album highlight. The Skints have thrown everything they have at ‘Swimming Lessons’ and the result is a mixed bag of the alternative genre all sorts with each flavour slightly overpowering the other one as they wrestle for individual song control. It works, it doesn’t, it grows and then falls before rising again.
THE SKINTS
SWIMMING LESSONS
Easy Star/ Mr. Bongo
6.5/10