Ahhh and the Ska lads have done it again! This is fabuloso!

Skarpakazoo has a new single out on Friday 26th Jan with the delightful title Piss Away. Recorded at Tauranga’s Fragile Colours studio, they’ve produced another absolute foot-stomper of a single. With the message being enjoy yourself but don’t let it take you and cost you everything, we’ve got some good juju in these wise words.

Now this track is well blended with the classic Ska instruments of the staccato reggae guitar, chugging bass with a good party scale going on, and frantic, carnival-centric brass all over the top. Lyrically the performance for the verses immediately got me thinking Shane MacGowan sound with Bad Manners’ Buster Bloodvessel visual. Absolutely a classic in my mind already.

It’s a catchy number for the verses, high tempo, and yes, a blend between classic Ska (very much in the Bad Manners mould) and Pogues party-folk. Knees-up mother Brown all over town, I tells ya! When you come to the wonderful, anthemic chorus you’ll get where I’m coming from. The chorus alone guarantees this as a live show favourite. I want to see footage of the audience at a Skarpakazoo gig when this is played. Winner winner chicken dinner, I guarantee you.

There’s no vid yet, but I’ll happily add the vid review to this write-up when that comes. I’m always impressed when some artists get together and provide something that is highly definitive of their chosen form. This track has a surprise change of tempo and form when they hit a middle eight. Almost a twelve bar blues vibe, lower tempo, yet not jarring or out of place.

This will go well live, as mentioned. Also play it at a house party, well into the night. Student and indie radio yes, although bear in mind there’s a naughty P word sung raucously, repeatedly and with gusto. I have no issue with that – in fact I absolutely loved it. Looking forward to tomorrow when I can add it to the Flash-Trax Spotty Fly playlist.

Great track guys. Keep ’em coming!