One Night Band

It must be the longest night in history because Montreal’s One Night Band came together for one moonlight gig and it ain’t over yet. Good thing too because if it were we’d never have this gem just released by those purveyors of all things ska-tastic at Stomp Records. Produced by Mitch Guiro, quickly becoming Montreal’s answer to Clement Dodd, and Ms. Ska Canada herself, Lorraine Muller, Way Back Home has all the juicy "phatness” expected of a retro reggae-cum-ska release. The stylish and stately grooves do far more than recreate a lost era; with keen songwriting and a playful elegance One Night Band are old school visionaries delivering an original feel to rhythms minted decades ago. The lover’s dub "Crazy” is driven by a syncopated guitar/bass riff that you’ll be humming long after the record is finished and features a sultry, if a little jilted, Jacinthe Michaud on vocals. The title track is Treasure Isle-ish rocksteady sung by cool rudie Alex Giguère that only suffers from being about two minutes too short, while the instrumental "Houdini” stays as fascinating on the bottom end as it does on the horn charts to create a dark horse of a high point for the album. Way Back Home also features a spooky cover of Ken Booth’s "When I Fall in Love” and one of the best versions of Jackie Mittoo’s plodding Studio One classic "No, No, No” in existence.