aaamusic | On 27, Aug 2012

Baked A La Ska are very, very silly. ‘Just Desserts’ is the second album by this 11-piece ska band, and it’s an eccentric mixture of traditional ska and psychedelic experimentation. It’s weird. It’s crazy. Sometimes it’s too weird and crazy, but for the most part it’s weird and crazy in a good and enjoyable way.

The band’s original material is very well put together, but where it gets especially silly is when Baked A La Ska’s give a ska makeover to other artists’ songs. For example, ‘Abraskadabra’ is a ghoulish cover The Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’, and ‘Toxic’ is an eerie, organ laced cover of Miss Spears’ pop hit. The highlight is ‘Arabian Nights’ (featuring percussionist Guy Schalom), which features best collection of brass parts. There is a lot of variety on offer here, mainly thanks to the versatility of the three vocalists – Frank ‘The Skank’, Tommy Robot and Kuntri Ranks.

‘Just Desserts’ is perfectly put together, with excellent production values, and – as far as ska music goes – pretty damn interesting. Most of the time it works, especially when they go down the moodier, more experimental route. However, some of the more upbeat, danceable numbers are a little forgettable. If you like ska (or theme tunes to haunted mansion and ghost train amusement park rides, for that matter), then it’s worth checking out – and you can do so from September 3rd.

★★★★★