Pama International - Pama Outernational - release Nov 09 Rockers Revolt

The forthcoming album Pama Outernational (due Nov'09) is nearing completion. Already in the bag are; Happenstance, Dub A Dance, Trade It All For More, Are We Saved Yet?, Look Out Your Window, Yeah Yeah Yeah/Question The Answer, He's More Like His Father, What You Do Now, Equality & Justice For All, and the surefire summer soul hit I Still Love You More. One more track to go! The "Heavyweight Dub Sounds Of Now" is the order of the day.

Regular readers of our site know how we have support this band since before they were signed by Trojan and we just love them. The band even frequent out forums and regular chat with our readers.

For those who know nothing about them, here’s a quick breakdown:

Pama International are a collective of musicians gathered from a wondergully diverse array of talent, brought together to join Sean Glowerdew (organ) and Finny (lead vocals), who have worked together since childhood and Lynval Goldering (vocals/guitar) from The Specials and Fun Boy 3. Other members of this illustrious collective include: Lenny Bignell (Lord Large), Gary Alesbrook (Kasabian), Fuzz Townshend (Bently Rhythm Ace/PWEI), Mike Lesirge (Alice Russell) & Lynval’s fellow Special Sir Horace Panter.

I was anticipating this release just hoping it would be better than the awesome previous album and I was not disappointed. From the outset you are placed straight into the sound that has now become Pama International with the excellent opening track “Equality & Justice For All”. This is followed by a track that is fast becoming a regular spinner for me, “Dub A Disco” is just so upbeat and begs a good old fashioned skank while listening too. These two top opening tracks are followed by yet another, “Are We Saved Yet?” displays the top production and sound that now follows this band everywhere they go.

By now you should be getting to know the band who are just playing as good as they ever have, this shows when “I Still Love You More” starts playing out, this is typical of the sound you get when you see the band live and you can see the dance floor filling and swinging nicely. “Still I Wait” then follows with a nice dub lick and the tones of Finny on vocals. I really like this one as it mixes dub with ska nicely and the vocals are just perfect.

Flipping over to side 2 (if you buy the vinyl version) we have the very excellent “Happenstance”, a hypnotic little mover which is followed by the same riddim on “Dub A Dance”, top notch dub version. Next get ready for another skanking choon, “Question The Answer” just flows with energy and I’m just loving the bassline. This track also contains some massive toasting from the band too.

“Trade It All For More” is a little disappointing after what has come before and feels a little ‘fillerish’ but this is resolved quickly when “What You Do Now” comes on, a beautiful end of album track that is a very good single and radio track. Finally on this promo copy I got (which might not be the final version) comes “Look Out You Window”, another top notch skanking track to remind you of that unique sound that is Pama International.

Well done lads, you have done it yet again….

Reviewed by Dean Marcel

1.Equality & Justice For All

2.Dub A Disco

3.Are We Saved Yet?

4.I Still Love You More

5.Still I Wait

6.He's More Like His Father

7.Happenstance

8.Dub A Dance

9.Question The Answer

10.Trade It All For More

11.What You Do Now

12.Look Out Your Window