In the Studio

The Specials were always a band that was deeply laced in political issues, and In the Studio is no different. At least on the lyrical scope it’s not different. With Terry Hall and Neville Staples having left the band to form Fun Boy Three, the last of the Specials albums (pre-reunion) is missing a lot of the spark, energy, sarcasm and fun of the first two discs. Also continuing on from the previous albums is the integration of new musical styles into their ska/punk world. However, the more into new wave territory that The Specials get on this disc, the less they sound like themselves. Jerry Dammers, the main lyrical force behind the band, used to incorporate a more complicated, inclusive theory of racial themes and issues. Not here. The more creative freedom he was given, the starker and angrier his lyrics got. As much as I love the Specials, this album gets the least amount of replays from me. Hearing the lead singer from Bodysnatchers singing over Specials songs just feels and sounds wrong. While the Specials always might have looked like a gang, they at least acted like a rowdy bunch of good-time-seeking-party-boys, while delivering political messages and talking about social issues. Funny how it all got so strangely, painfully serious after a while. If you don't stop being a racist, they'll beat you up. DOWNLOAD: “Girlfriend”