★★★★☆
I kid you not, from the moment the needle drops on Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s second record, you’re up and running.
Frontman Nicky Bomba is a seasoned hand at crafting a catchy tune, and his encyclopaedic enthusiasm is infectious; to hear him discuss the raucous ramblings of the band is enough to convince you to throw away your daily life, grab a horn and join the adventure.
Indeed, adventure is the substance of Sierra-Kilo-Alpha. If their self-titled debut was an introduction to the band’s endeavours, this is a showcase of what comes next. From opening track ‘Escher’ – the scope of which really is akin to the eponymous Dutch artist – we find a band brimming with a movement and energy that in retrospect was only hinted at before.
This is largely due to just how far the MSO has grown in the intervening years. Tracks like the treacherously titled single ‘Funkchunk!’ and the celebratory ‘Satellite’ are some of the most polychromatic tunes around, while ‘Sly Boots’ is so suited to the next James Bond soundtrack it would be a crime to miss the opportunity (it doesn’t hurt that secret agents are so entwined in this band’s character).
A testament to a group damn close to its peak; pressure’s on for album number three.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra‘sSierra-Kilo-Alphais out now through ABC.
