Courtesy of The Toasters
Not many bands stand the test of time, coming full circle back around to their earlier sound. The Toasters not only accomplish this feat but they do it impressively well. They have no shortage of wonderful albums yet House of Soul is an absolutely marvelous addition to their repertoire. While the band has certainly evolved over the decades, this single is a throwback to the soul-influenced ska that they developed by the mid-nineties. Only, these tracks seem to delve even deeper into soul territory.
House of Soul kicks off with a bang by way of “House of Soul.” This song is an extravaganza of soul ska with booming horns from trombonist Logan Labarbera and saxophonist Neil Johnson, who pulls off a sick sax solo. Keyboardist Dave Barry, as well, goes to town on this track. Even frontman and guitarist Robert “Bucket” Hingley gets down. This single is backed with “Going Home,” which starts off with a heavy dose of rhythm & blues before picking up the pace with rhythm and blues-influenced soul ska. The horns, again, carry the tune with the help of bassist Thaddeus Meritt of Westbound Train fame. Drummer Nathan Sabanyagam busts loose on the kit, too. Barry slams home on the keys, paving the way into a dual solo on sax and trombone by Johnson and Labarbera.
The Toasters prove, yet again, that they know how to put out a killer record, whether they’re playing ska, punk, soul or rhythm & blues. While this album shows that they can cater to just about any music fanatic, this one definitely seems to be aimed at the ska kids. With any luck, we’ll hear The Toasters play at least one of these songs in the near future. The Toasters have a fantastic show lined up in Phoenix at Yucca Tap Room in Tempe on Wednesday, February 24th with 2Tone Lizard Kings, Bowcat and Abraham Drinkin’.
~ Garyn Klasek
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