Rating:
Genre:
Reggae
Release Date: 04/05/1996
Throughout the mid-'90s
ska revival,
Hepcat should have felt right at home, but ironically the multi-racial Los Angeles-based band couldn't have sounded more at odds with then-current
ska trends. Instead of offering a fashionable
ska-punk hybrid,
Hepcat went way back to the '60s for its inspiration, expertly emulating
ska's first wave by bridging
R&B and
jazz with
ska's trademark upbeat.
Scientific, the band's second album, doesn't break from the classic
ska formula, which is what makes the disc so great.
Hepcat's dogged dedication to
old-school ska sets it apart from the competition, with the outfit embracing lengthy horn solos and soulful vocals where other groups offer shouting and distorted guitars. Vocalists
Alex Desert and
Greg Lee would even sound right at home on any
Studio One session, crooning, cooing, and toasting where necessary.
Scientific doesn't always stick strictly to
ska, but it stays in the vicinity:
Hepcat also explores
ska's antecedents
rocksteady,
reggae, and
dub, with songs such as
"Keep On" slowing things down to a less danceable pace. But despite the slight style juggling, the emphasis remains mostly on traditional
Jamaican music -- pure, simple, musical, and joyous, with a touch of politics, even if a potentially galvanizing track titled
"Anita Hill" is perversely presented as an instrumental.
~Joshua Klein, All Music Guide
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