*GUEST REVIEW*
The Toasters are one of the longest-running groups doing the ska revival thing. Getting their start in the 1980s and still touring and recording today, the Toasters have released a wide body of work, of which New York Fever is often regarded as a high point. On the whole, it's a pretty solid album, but as is always the case with The Toasters, all the songs tend to sound very similar -- a mid-tempo ska bounce punctuated by the expected horn shots and vocalist Bucket's reedy singing. When the band tries something different, however, the results can be very satisfying indeed. Case in point: "Johnny Forsake Her," the album's highlight and a song that alone makes New York Fever worth purchasing. "Johnny Forsake Her" is a gorgeous, dubby reggae track; a dark tale of lost love driven by Matt Malles' thundering bass and an overwhelming sense of grief. While Bucket's high-register whine often clashes with the faster ska numbers, it's perfectly suited to this song, which is full of minor-key sorrow and sinister horns. The second side of this record, which is kicked off by "Johnny Forsake Her," also features superior, toasting-inflected versions of "Shebeen" and "Plowshares Into Guns," both of which appear in original form on side A. The versions, as well as Skatalites-style instrumental "B27," make you wonder why the best tracks have been relegated to the end of the record. If The Toasters had hung on to the last half of New York Fever and scrapped some of the ska sound-alikes, this has the potential to be a classic record. Since that's not likely to happen 14 years on, your best bet is to see this band live, where the ska songs are given a massive injection of energy and the reggae numbers are even more delightful.

- Sam Thompson