Forget all the silly fourth wave hashtags for a minute. The Slackers have been playing old school ska/dub/rocksteady since 1991 now. Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya is their whopping 15th album (depending how people count the early self-released material). They’re not “prolific,” though. They’re hard workers. There is a clear working-class New York vibe that permeates their every song, with rough edges and disappointment peppering the upbeat, Caribbean-inspired rhythms. Just like the album title says, it’s reggae-inspired music for sunny winter days.
With a rocksteady core the band manages a chill vibe that’s equally relaxing and meaningful. Lyrics are often political, but not exclusively so. They alternate with storytelling songs about characters and wider concepts instead of just politicking. For every blunt song like “They Are Losing” there are more moody tunes like the title track. They’ve taken this to each extreme on previous records but, talking 2022, it’s a pretty even balance. There’s also the topical “Statehouse” which nods toward “Wrongful Suspicion” by Rancid (which also namedropped the Slackers) in discussing modern usage of the Confederate flag, delivered with a personal take that makes it feel more like a conversation than a lecture. “They Are Losing” is a new direction from the band. It discusses extremely serious subject matter but in a calming, relaxed manner, adding a smoky jazz bar meets Tom Waits vibe. I can imagine pouring a snifter and listening to this song every night, after watching the news, to cancel out the social anxiety of an ugly modern world.
While Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya isn’t the Slackers’ best record, it’s incredibly reliable. Personally, the only misstep is “Way Of A Woman.” If the name doesn’t already say it, the song seems well-intentioned but rubs me the wrong way. I don’t plan to ever hear this song again after finishing this review, even when I return to the rest of the record.
Fans of political reggae should definitely take note of the record, as well as anybody who likes the upbeat but doesn’t get into the sometimes schticky element of the various waves. While many lyrics are rooted in the here and now, the Slackers play timeless music that has survived multiple crashing waves already.
