This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
WHERE YOU’LL FIND THEM: In the dancehall next to Studio One.
FILE UNDER: Jamaican love the old-fashioned way.
LOWDOWN: “In case you never noticed, I’m a white guy,” explains Dave Adams of JFK & The Conspirators — and with good reason. You’d never know it from his latest album Mash Up The Dance. On his first new full-length in five years, Adams — the singer, songwriter, chief cook and bottle washer of JFK — resurrects and reproduces the sound of classic Jamaican reggae, dancehall, ska and dub with impressive authenticity. From the hip-swivelling grooves and scritchy textures to the punchy horns and funhouse keyboard melodies, it’s all here, with Adams’ topical lyrics and local references the only sign that these cuts aren’t old Studio One obscurities. In fact, for my money, the irresistible Wa Da Da might be the catchiest single Studio One never produced. Pretty fly for a… well, you know.
