SPOTLIGHT: THE ENGLISH BEAT
Dave Wakeling has stoked the embers of the English Beat in North America steadily since the band’s heyday in the ’ 80s, traveling often to Chicago with a pile of party- starters including “Mirror in the Bathroom.” As the Beat celebrates its 40th birthday, Wakeling brings the band to full flame with a spirited new set called “Here We Go Love.” The album is Wakeling’s first under the Beat banner since 1982’ s “Special Beat Service,” the original line- up’s swan song featuring “I Confess” and the sublime “Save it for Later.”
Songs from “Here We Go Love” will thrill fans of the classic Beat sound. Wakeling stakes his claim anew as king of Two- Tone ska- pop with the effervescent admonition “How Can You Stand There.” The song speaks to the need to act in the face of injustice and poverty, but also hits celebratory notes with an urge to dance for joy.
Wakeling doubles down with “Dem Call it Ska.” He credits the music’s source in Jamaica, but the British singer and guitarist finds the spirit alive and well in his adopted skanking grounds around Southern California.
The tale of an unrepentant ne’er- do- well in “The One and Only” represents the shadow side of all of us. The song borrows the bounce of “Tenderness,” an endur- ing favorite by the Beat’s successor band General Public led by Wakeling and Beat bandmate Ranking Roger. Expect to hear the latter song in the set list when the Beat perform at Metro on Friday, but the fresh cuts deserve a chance to get the room shaking, too.
Although fans will come to hear reliable hits like “Twist and Crawl,” they should take time to savor the melancholy but thankful survivor’s song “Never Die” and its upbeat companion “The Love You Give Lasts Forever.”
Wakeling’s new material also includes the straightforward sentiment of “If Killing Worked, It Would Have Worked by Now,” addressing a timeless and timely issue with a propulsive groove to sell a tough message. If the Beat could coax global leadership onto the dance floor, it just might stand a chance at ushering in world peace. Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.