*GUEST REVIEW*
I was unfamiliar with this U.K.-based band before obtaining their CD and am now glad I sought them out. Intensified play potent Jamaican music -- primarily ska, but some rock steady and reggae as well -- that sounds a lot like the early stuff that caught on in Britain in the '60s and has remained influential through subsequent ebbing and flowing of ska's popularity. Unlike some of the revival bands of UK ska's second wave, Intensified keep it smooth with jazzy horn breaks, relaxed singing, tart organ riffs and spy-movie-soundtrack guitar (which goes great with doghouse bass). Most of the tracks here feature vocals, and the lyrics are sometimes laced with the rude boy mythos of old ("Dirty Harry," "Butcher and the Bullet"). Further traces of classic style are evident at moments such as the acapella intro to the Tommy McCook co-composition "Dynamite," the R&B fadeout of "Move On" and the mento/calypso phrasing of "Rum Papa." It's clear that this band has studied the old masters and learned their lessons very well. While not as intense as their name might imply, the music of Intensified is rooted in yesterday and sounds smashingly great today.

- Tom Orr