The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1

Ska gets a bad rap. Just because the genre's mid-'90s “third wave” uncovered a lot of bands that would’ve been better left covered (Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger) or really didn’t have much to do with ska anyway (No Doubt) is no reason to disregard its '60s pioneers (the Skatalites, Prince Buster) or their '80s inheritors (the Specials, the English Beat). Madness, who fall into the latter camp, do a decent job of reminding us of this fact with their first album in six years, a covers collection. The choices range from classic ska (Prince Buster’s “Girl”), reggae (Desmond Dekker’s impossible-to-fuck-up “Israelites”), Motown (The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hanging On”) and rock (The Kinks’ “Lola”) to early Jamaican obscurities (Max Romeo’s “Iron Shirt”). Nearly everything is juiced with a lively backbeat, punchy horns, and the loose-limbed spirit that earned Madness a reputation as a great party band. At times, they sound completely reinvigorated, but even when they don’t, the band at least sounds energetic enough to clear ska’s sullied name.