Shake It! (Brixton, 2006)

*GUEST REVIEW*
They're from Spain, they're a self-contained band with a built-in girl group and they play ska, rocksteady and early reggae with pop and soul overtones. They're called the Pepper Pots, and even though there's nothing dread-intensive about them, it's damn easy to get hooked on this CD. This group has definitely listened to and gleaned from the sounds of '60s Jamaica (and Motown), giving their majority original compositions pretty much the same vintage feel as their cover versions (including the Pioneers' "Starvation," featuring the Pioneers themselves). The girls are easy on the eyes, but more importantly, they can sing (in English, if that matters). And the players -- on drums, bass, guitar, keys and horns -- prove themselves smartly throughout, particularly on an instrumental piece placed about halfway in among the vocal selections. Let me be clear: this is Jamaican-flavored music in a mainly easygoing stylee with love songs dominating, and as such it may sound lightweight to some. But bear in mind how much of a pop element there was to a great many of the post-independence Jamaican records being lovingly referenced here, and you'll find this stuff a lot easier to surrender to. As for me, I think it sounds great and is a marvelous testament to how influential ska, rocksteady and reggae have been outside their point of origin.

- Tom Orr