The Pietasters'
Oolooloo strictly adheres to a first-wave ska upbringing, but maintains enough personality and variety to hold the attention of weary fans and ska tenderfoots alike. Vocalist Stephen Jackson is at once a drunken Irishman on "Maggie Mae," a womanizer with a truckload of come-ons during "Girl Take It Easy" and "Biblical Sense," and a tough-talking, hand-jiving sleazeball on the seedy "Pleasure Bribe" and "Movin' on Up." But what's most interesting about
Oolooloo is its inclination toward R&B and Motown. "Tell You Why" stays smooth and tender without losing its ska credibility. The suave but dejected "Can I Change My Mind" mixes slow-swaying ska with
Al Green.
The Pietasters even reinterpret the
Four Tops classic "Same Old Song" to fit ska conventions.
Oolooloo is half dirty, slimy fun, half debonair introspection. Brilliant? Not really. Worth picking up? Definitely. And besides, when doesn't a ska band need your money? ~ Bill Peters