If your listening diet allows for a well-seasoned mix of reggae, ska, afro-beat, folk, funk, roots rock and punk, you can safely add Roots Round Up to it. Up Rooted, the sixth full-length album from these Vancouver’s veteran musicians (the band formed in 1985), features twelve songs, including six new original ones – their first in thirty years. In addition, it also has covers of DOA’s War in the East and Sarcastic Mannequins’ Four Arabs In A Red Fury (abbreviated here to Red Fury), plus four live recordings from last year’s performance on Denman Island. Despite the eclectic influences, it is an organic whole around current themes, with shimmering horns and pulsing rhythms – a loose and uplifting sound, surprisingly easy to digest.

Up Rooted, recorded by Stephen Hamm, is out now digitally via Revolver, and on CD and vinyl LP through Sudden Death Records. Featuring Greg Hathaway, David “Dymitri” Hanna, David Hathaway, Keith Rose, Mark Campbell, Eric Napier and Bradford Lambert.

Add to wantlist: Roots Roundup