Kobo Town - Jumbie in the Jukebox

Jumbie in the Jukebox is full of Kobo Town frontman Drew Gonsalves’ usual lyrical invention and his band’s musical audacity and infectious grooves. Ghosts jump out of the tracks, from the clanging bells of “Mr. Monday,” about a fallen man who loses his fortune to mental illness, to the groaning trombones of “Joe the Paranoiac,” about a conspiracy theorist who believes his neighbors are terrorist members of sleeper cells. “The War Between Is and Ought” uses scratchy vocals and a traditional santimanitaymelody to tell the tale of two feuding kings, while “The Trial of Henry Marshall,” written in the style of an early kalenda with a call-and-response chant, is about an innocent man sent to the gallows. The album is steeped in the Trinidadian tradition of calypso, with thoughtful lyrics that use wit and humour to tackle even a serious subject like the death penalty. But there’s plenty of irresistible rock and reggae influences as well, making Jumbie in the Jukebox that perfect hybrid: thinking person’s dance music.

Released 2013.