The Specials

Ten years into their ecstatically received reunion, The Specials, above, were in danger of becoming just another cherished nostalgia act running through the politicised ska sounds of Thatcher’s Britain. As enduring and relevant as that back catalogue is, the remaining founder members of the band – frontman Terry Hall, guitarist Lynval Golding and bassist Horace Panter – can now enrich their setlist with tracks from their bold and beautiful new album, Encore, which draws on the band’s reggae, jazz and funk influences alongside their signature ska stomp.