Reggae Workers Of The World - New Thing + Leah Farmer - Leah Farmer (Badasonic Records)

We first got acquainted with Reggae Workers Of The World - the side project of Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers), Jesse Wagner (The Aggrolites) and Badasonics multi-instrumentalist Nico Leonard - back in 2018 with the aptly titled second album 'RWW II'. This time around, they're joined by saxophonists Efren Santana (Hepcat) and Dave Hillyard (The Slackers), both featured on the title track 'New Thing', as well as Mechelen-based harmonica virtuoso Steven Troch, who pops up on 'Oil & Water' and injects a bluesy vibe into closing track 'If I Should Stay'. Much like its predecessor 'RWW II', 'New Thing' serves up a wide-ranging palette of styles, from the rocksteady of opener 'Ticking Time' and 'Venus', to the rock of '157 Wardour Street', the rhythm & blues of the instrumental 'Oil & Water', and even a ska excursion flirting with Argentine tango on 'Horace', or a French ska cover of the The Beatles classic 'Love Me Do', reimagined here as 'J'en Suis Fou' (or how the Fab Four might have sounded had they chosen Marseille over Hamburg).

Texas-born Leah Farmer may already be familiar to some through her work with The Utopians or as one of the frontwomen of The Bandulus, but here she steps forward with her debut solo album, and it's a real gem! Farmer effortlessly moves between rocksteady (the delightful 'Since I've Seen You', 'No Way'), soul (the Motown-flavored 'Love Letters' and the superb opener 'All My Love'), and even French yé-yé on 'Laisse Tomber Les Filles'. Production duties were handled by Nico Leonard, who opted for vintage gear and tape to craft an authentic sixties sound. On bass and guitar, we hear his Badasonics bandmates Jean Debry and Michael Bridoux, while a stellar horn section (Tom Callens - tenor sax, Loïc Dumoulin - trumpet, and Arthur Hirtz - baritone sax) adds the finishing touches.

Reggae Workers Of The World and Leah Farmer will present their new releases live on April 8 at Brasserie de la Mule.