The Deep Six-It’sHappening-Heavy Soul CD/VinylLPSecond album from The Deep Six,
alreadytherehavebeen twotastersas
singles, both sidesofwhich are
included onthis 14-track offering.Title
trackIt’sHappening, along withI’m
OnlyDreaming,werereleasedlatein
2018,while LikeEmily, theopening
trackoftheir secondalbum,aswell as
BlackCountryWay, wasthe second
single, releasedinMarch 2019.It’s
Happeningalbum launch p artyiss et for
July 20at the Pelton Arms,Greenwich,
London,where Purple Hearts’own
SimonStebbingwilljoinTheDeep Six
on stage foraguest appearanceona
few numbers. Secondtrack on thenew
album isthesingalong sunshine
mod-popgemWishingYouWereHere,
with I’m Only Dreaming next. Then it’s
themod-popnugg et Help ful, an
upliftingly joyfulstomp thatis
reminiscent of typicalearly60ssounds.
Hintsoft he Merseybeatera shine
through on I’ll BeBack Someday, and
slammingdown hard on the overdrive,
TheDeepSixaccelerateintothe
up-tempo pop-psyche of the unrelenting
Everything Grows.Contrastingly,
LaughingAll TheWayheadsbackto
mod-pop,withharmoniesandjangling,cascadingguitar riff s. Titletrack is
next, followed bytheemotiveand
reflective lyricalI’ll SeeYouInJuly,a
gentle,acoustically-flavourednumber
that doubles up as invitation to the
album launchparty!Withasmidgen of
fuzz guitar comesthe harmony-
drenched, punchyYou’reMy Woman,
before thedown-tempo,darklyshrouded
RoundAndRound adds another
dimension toTheDeep Six’s repertoire.
YouOnly KnowIts Overadds aflavourof 60sWest Coast USA toproceedings.
Penultimate track on thealbum is
Black CountryWay, released on single
alongsideLike Emilyearl ierthis year.
The aptly titledThat’ sThe End, awired
andfired mod-popromp ,closes
proceedings onablistering high. The
Deep Six continue to go from strength
to strength, notthat th ere’ sany surprise
giventheheritageoft he band
members.www.heavysoul45s.co.uk
SargeSimmertones -TenFeet Tall -WindrushRecords
Devon-based authentic ska ‘n’ reggae outfit, The Simmertones, have been plying their trade for well overadecade, during which time
they've notched upaseries of acclaimed albums and EPs, as well as played some seriously impressive events and festivals. Adding
music royalty to their ever-expanding fan base, plus high-profile names suchas Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene, PaulWeller,
Steve Cradock Band, and currently The Specials), as guest guitarist on their second EP Everything’sComing Up Ska, and guest
voiceover from actor Phil Daniels (Jimmy in Quadrophenia, etc) on the accompanying video, The Simmertones CV is as long as your
arm and contains all manner of industry names and personalities. Their previous full-length album Something For TheWeekend? was
aworldwide hit with ska and reggae aficionados, and earned them accolades from, amongst others, members of The Specials and
Madness. The latter invited The Simmertones to open for them on several occasions, most recently November 2018. Something For
The Weekend? was awarded the prestigious SouthWest Album of theYear award in 2013. New albumTenFeet Tall consists of a
baker's dozen of tracks and follows on from their 2016 single Run ForYour Life. First taster fromTenFeet Tall was the singleWinters
Tale, which was released January 2019 and suitably whetted the appetite for the full album, asatypical uplifting, reggae-flavoured,
Simmertones number.Ten FeetTall kicks off with El Gringo, which has an intro reminiscent of The Upsetters’ dub classic Clint
Eastwood before morphing full pelt intoaSkatalites-inspired ska groove, topped off with GlynnWilcox's vocals riding on top. The spirit
of the late, great Laurel Aitken is evident on this killer tune titledTravelling Man. Third up comes Silly Girl,aSimmertones sing-a-
long, bouncy ska-infused number with added pop appeal. WhatINeed, in comparison to its chronological predecessor,has adarker
musical aura about it, followed by the early ska-inclined and revived feel of MissingYou. Boss sounds of skinhead reggae, complete
with adownbeat easy groove, are on offer on the instrumental scorcher Bring It
Down, then Fatback/Tear It Up with the brass section laying down an early ska
style workout, the latter third of which, theTear It Up part presumably,features
Glynn on toasting duties. Can you imagineatime-honoured traditional lullaby
treated toaska-flavoured re-working. Not only that, can you imagine it
working? If you can, you've probably imagined the eighth track on this album,
Lullaby.Not only do The Simmertones pull ofaska re-working, they do it with
some style, too. First off, in my opinion, two contenders asapotential single
come in the shape of Stand Firm, an outstanding track fromahigh-quality
album. Down By The Shore,adowntempo, almost easy listening reggae style
tune precedes the album title track which is aimed directly at the dance floor,
whileanodd in deference to the early ska style and sound of The Skatalites.
Another single contender is the penultimate song on the album, simply an
absolute scorcher ofatunetitled The PlaceIKnow.Closing number is, of
course, the first taster from this top-quality release,Winter' sCall, which was
out asasingle in January.It's been some six years since The Simmertones’
previous album release.Wasthe wait worthwhile? It certainly was! Authentic-
sounding early ska, boss sounds and reggae all on one album. If the sounds of
60sand early 70s Jamaican-type music appeal, treat yourself toTenFeet Tall.
Sarge