Since 1977, The Specials, from the United Kingdom, have been making an awesome mix of ska, punk, and other variations of music. Their most recent release is their way of adding something positive into this world.
This is an album made in protest. Made by someone who feels the hurt in the world and wants to turn those troubles into something beautiful – into art.
Some of the tunes are handpicked covers, others are original. In the end, this is a great release by artists who have been around for a while and who have experienced many different sides of the society we all inhabit.
The first track on the album is ‘Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys’ originally written by The Equals in 1973. According to the band, they were often considered the first multiracial band in England, but that is how they themselves always felt first about The Equals.
‘Blam Blam Fever’ by the Valentines, released in 1967 touches on gun culture. ‘The Ten Commandments’ touches on rape culture, misogyny, self-worth, and alt-right “pseudo-intellectuals on the internet” and it features the activist Saffiyah Khan, famous for a photo of her standing her ground against nationalist protesters.
Some of the other songs on the album are about the Black Lives Matter movement, corruption, social media, and more.
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