3 out of 5

Label: Jump Up! Records

Produced by: John Miller (recorded by)

Smooth and fun rocksteady from The Prizefighters, elevated over some genre norms by an enthused performance from vocalist Aaron Porter, a wonderfully warm horn section, and gloriously old school production.

…Most of this equation has been part of The Prizefighters’ brand, of course, combining a kind of modern rock emotiveness with the chill swagger of classic reggae / ska, and Firewalk lends some situational focus to the lyrical subject and some of the album’s tone: notably releasing before COVID, but well into the Trump presidential years, PFs have shifted away from relationship tales and into social territory. Some of that’s of a typical ‘fight the power’ stance, but Porter also express an appreciated balance of caution and passion elsewhere: this is the Firewalk of the title, taking care with how you proceed, and also acknowledging that things require that care. It’s a feeling that’s explained succinctly, told via sweet harmonies or some dub-like chants.

The album’s middle feels a bit more open-ended, dipping into instrumentals quite often which are enjoyable, but lose some of the band’s more distinctive charms. The analog recording does make these sound quite good, but it’s also a set of songs that run into the problem of being pretty similar, making it a one-two hit of taking some steps back thematically, and losing a listener’s attentions from the more distinctive music experienced in the opening tunes.

But: rocksteady is a pretty easygoing genre in general, so the group settling into more chill vibes after a minute is probably right for the scene. As a more casual listener – someone who was grabbed by Harris’ passionate vocals, and the way, musically, the group often strays just enough from typical ska conventions to stand out – I may wish Firewalk stuck by the more heated tone suggested by its title, however, it’s also undeniably an enjoyable listen, front to back.