Album Review: Skindred – Smile

Review by Rick Eaglestone for MPM

Coming off a huge tour announcement for next year, Newport’s Skindred celebrate their 25^th anniversary with eighth album “Smile”.

Immediately firing out the cannon is ‘Our Religion’ is certainly a statement of intent which is followed by easily the albums biggest earworm ‘Gimmie That Boom’ for me is hands down Skindred in a bottle, high energy, catchy as hell riffs and invokes full body movement! It’s this decades ‘Nobody’ and is going to be a sure a live favourite.

Continuing with the high energy is ‘Set Fazers’ which have some great guitar tones and melodies, which is followed by the upbeat drum and bass laden Life That’s Free

There is a sweeping emotion that lingers through ‘If I Could’ I have come back to this time and time again and as I’ve come back it so much it has to my highlight track.

Having recently moved into a new house, I have been toying with the idea of a BBQ and well “L.O.V.E. (Smile Please) just fuels those summer vibes and this almost feels like this would be the perfect soundtrack for it, then the pure ska elements of ‘This Appointment Love’ with a heavy edge come through the speakers and I can already smell the sausages…

The trio of ‘Black Stars’, ‘State of the Union’ & ‘Addicted’ show the bands maturity and diverse styles.

‘Mama’ is an absolute triumph and is one of those tracks you will sing in the shower, walking to Morrisons and even when you are listening to something else it will still creep into your subconscious.

Concluding with the anthemic ‘Unstoppable’ only confirms the band’s undyeable ability to put groove into everything they do and leave you wanting more.

An Absolute feel-good album.

Smile” track-listing:

1. Our Religion
2. Gimmie That Boom
3. Set Fazers
4. Life That’s Free
5. If I Could
6. L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)
7. This Appointed Love
8. Black Stars
9. State of the Union
10. Addicted
11. Mama
12. Unstoppable

Line-up:
Benji Webbe – Vocals
Daniel Pugsley – Bass, Programming, Backing Vocals
Mikey Demus – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Arya Goggin – Drums

UK HEADLINE TOUR
6^th October: Northampton, Roadmender
7^th October: Leeds, O2 Academy
13^th October: Cambridge, Junction
14^th October: Norwich, Epic
19^th October: Nottingham, Rock City
27^th October: Brighton, Chalk
3^rd November: Sheffield, Leadmill
4^th November: Lincoln, The Engine Shed
10^th November: Cardiff, Great Hall
11^th November: Southampton, O2 Guildhall
17^th November: Belfast, Limelight 2
18^th November: Dublin, Academy

** KISS special guests

For tickets & more details go to www.skindred.net/#live

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