Idlers

Could it be that the spirit of Jamaican ska trombone guru Don Drummond has taken up residence in St. John’s, Newfoundland? One might think so listening to this ten piece band’s skanking debut, driven joyously by a horn section that seem equally at home offering terse shots of adrenaline or stretching their legs over long solos. Idlers offer up full-tilt energy on tracks such as the Skatalites’ "Guns of Navarone,” the quirky "Massive Change” and the Latin-tinged "Little Wood Stove.” They show off their slower reggae chops on tracks like the instrumental "Band Mom,” the thoughtful "Walk On The Land” and the wonderfully-chorused "Push Back.” Corner is doubly steeped in Brit punk and 2-Tone’s musical and political temperament. "Stanley Goes to Kandahar” might not make much of a lyrical statement (other than repeating the title) but other tracks ("Peaceful Rebellion,” "Say Goodbye,” "Little Man”) make it clear that Idlers are no idle bystanders on political issues.