What began as a writing session between Rat Boy's Jordan Cardy and Preston of The Ordinary Boys in Los Angeles quickly evolved into a multi-generational ska supergroup, with Tim Armstrong (Rancid, Operation Ivy, Hellcat boss), Antonee First Class (The English Beat) and Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy) bringing along their respective pedigree, and labelmates The Calamatix providing the house band. Recorded in two weeks the tracks find a pace and power and the album sounds like a strong collective effort which brings back the 2 Tone sound.
"Floor Burner" opens the record like a starter pistol, 90 seconds of pure 2-Tone rocket fuel, British ska attitude married to rootsy punch that makes the album sleeve almost seem a waste of space. "Shakedown" keeps the same breathless tempo but with more of a Jamaican kick to it, while "Detonator" lives up to its name with a mixture of organ screams and brass flares providing the necessary lift. "Still A Jamaican" allows Antonee to demonstrate his toaster credentials before a meandering bass riff threatens to make you check the date just to make sure it's not 1979 Coventry.
The best thing about The Family Business Ltd's debut is that despite a sense of the members' influences running through the track listing, it never feels like a nostalgia-fuelled exercise. "Bambi" carries a clear sense of Rat Boy swagger, "Armageddon" nods towards The Selecter, but twists the chorus into something more immediate and personal, elsewhere there are hints of Operation Ivy urgency, Rancid streetwise charm and the buoyant keyboard bounce of classic 2-Tone but all are given a thorough modernising rub down.
At this length it's impossible for the album to have filler, and it certainly doesn't have any. By the time the final track fades out you are already reaching for the repeat button.
The Family Business Ltd debut manages to capture the spirit of the 2-Tone and ska-punk scenes of years gone by and stamp their own names to it. Hopefully this isn't the last we've seen of The Family Business Ltd as a live entity, these songs are going to be massive. Best Ska album i have heard in years!
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