Band: Jaya The Cat
Album: The New International Sound Of Hedonism (Album)
Release Date: 02/08/12
This year’s British summer time may have been predictably drab: you look forward to a festival while Mother Nature teases you with a glimmer of sunshine before she once again pulls down her pants and quite literally pisses on your parade. It’s time to don the wellies again and endure the mud all in the name of music. However when bands such as Jaya The Cat release albums such as ‘The New International Sound Of Hedonism’ it doesn’t matter if it’s sunny, raining or blizzard conditions outside: you’re sure to have a good time.
The title of the album is an apt fit for the band as they sing on ‘Unconditional Love’ about spreading love and good time vibes all over the world and this album delivers PMA by the bucket load. The infectious ska of songs such as ‘Here Come The Drums’ are pure skank fests that are sure to get your knees up higher than Mother Brown. While the likes of ‘Thessaloniki’ and ‘Fake Carreras’ (with its cries of “if life gives you lemons, make gin and tonics”) are bonafide stamp along, shout along anthems in the making. Even when the band showcase their subtler side they raise a smile: ‘Bon En Lommerweg’ builds and builds sending out more posi vibes than the entire self help section at your local book shop, and ‘Thank You’ is so sweet, humbling and genuinely heartfelt that it makes you wish most of the morons clogging up the pop charts had an ounce of this band’s sincerity.
The Amsterdam-based band hardly rewrite the rule book on ska but they do embrace the genre’s rich heritage to develop a sound that nods to the past but also looks to the future. The spacey intro of album opener ‘Rebel Sound’ has a distinct hip hop feel, especially considering the addition of deck scratches and ray gun laserbeams that bounce all over the track and the superb ‘Put A Boombox On My Grave’ features guest vocals from modern day punk hero Itch (formerly of The King Blues). However songs such as ‘Peace and Love’ sound like huge hits from the 90s ska boom and could give the likes of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones a run for their money.
Jaya The Cat have released an album that is so feel good and full of happiness that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Dalai Lama is currently adding it to his Spotify playlist. In a world full of doom and gloom ‘The New International Sound Of Hedonism’ is a very much welcome departure from the despair. So who cares what the weather’s doing? Hang the hammock up in your living room, stick a straw in a coconut, put on this album and make your own good time.
8/10
Reviewer: Gavin Lloyd
