As 2024 began to draw to a close, Buster Shuffle had already started to look towards the year ahead. The London-based ska band’s then current single ‘Shows How Little You Know’ provided a very effective peak into their proposed new long player, supplying the kind of energy driven number their fans had not only come to expect, but also a powerful workout that seemed perfect for attracting new listeners.

Hitting the shelves almost five months later, its parent album ‘Together’ does not disappoint. Leading the charge, ‘Shows How Little…’ sounds as good as part of a broader musical landscape, and remains a brilliant showcase for the musicians involved. The heart of the arrangement features a classic sounding ska groove, but delivered with an extra punch. The roots of the earliest Madness recordings are here, as are the reggae and ska influences from The Clash circa ‘London Calling’. Everything is recycled with a big love, and replayed with a tightly wound anger that gives a very familiar sound a truly energetic feel. Factor in a very British sounding vocal and the track’s punky sneer becomes even more cocksure. This is more than a slice of nostalgia; like Rancid and the other revivalists, it’s the sound of a band that knows how to push the right buttons to give their audience a great listen.

The rest of the eleven track album powers through in a similar fashion. ‘Masterplan’ kicks off with a descending piano line, before dropping into a bright, hard edged riff that would make Mike Barson proud. From there, the rest of the band fall in line with a mid tempo riff that’s designed to get the audience into a collective skank. Although the music sounds like a cross between early Madness and the late 80s “Wot No Meat?” advertising jingle, Buster Shuffle make the familiar elements very much their own by adding a strong London accent and a narrative about escaping the smog and moving “to sunny old Spain” – something that again captures a very 80s conceit. Listen carefully, and behind the punchy elements, you’ll hear a superb, swirling organ line and some pleasingly busy bass work that really helps what could’ve been a bog-standard ska number soar. Dropping into more of a rocksteady reggae mood, ‘Knocking At 112’ gives the rhythm section a solid workout during its slower moments, whilst a speedier chorus invites a full on skank. The arrangement shifts between the two extremes very naturally, and the quirky feel is augmented by bells and keys that lend something of a carny feel.

The off-kilter carny qualities carry through ‘Waiting For You’, but that rather affected style suits the job in hand, since the vocal is a near-spoken affair, and some of the music feels very retro. Again, there’s a quirkiness here, but nothing you could – or should – write off as novelty, and looking beyond the arrangement, the lyric concerning the mundane (dog walking, waiting at the bus station at night, waiting for a kettle to boil) is incredibly British. With the help of a cheeky keyboard solo and some rowdy backing vocals, in another world, this could’ve been a Snuff deep cut. In a change of mood, ‘Thanks’ applies another Snuff-like vocal to a track that sounds more like a 90s indie banger – all jangling guitars and punchy drums. There’s still a punk spirit, but it comes with more of a melodic hook, and for anyone harbouring fond memories of The New Wave of New Wave, it could be a favourite, despite not entirely fitting with the rest of the LP. Elsewhere, you’ll encounter a moment of self-reflection on ‘If I Were Wise’, a song that sounds like a cast off from ‘One Step Beyond…’ by Madness put through a second wave punk blender. The ska moments are pretty much by numbers, but things are definitely given a lift thanks to a speed driven chorus where the ska-punk aesthetic takes over to make Buster Shuffle sound more like Snuff than ever before. It mightn’t add anything particularly new to the band’s catalogue, but with a hook that invites an easy shout-along and a raucous lead guitar break, it brings plenty of fun within its tightly wound two and a half minutes.

In terms of highlights, ‘Take A Pill’ is an instant standout. Not just due to another Snuff-esque approach where ska rhythms attack hard against a gruff vocal, but also through its striking narrative imagery. The lyrical thrust concerns mental well being and how medication can soothe issues, but mightn’t fix them. “Take a pill to go to sleep / And then you take a pill for honesty / Take a pill for some relief / And then you take a pill for some belief”, frontman Jet opines, whilst the rest of the band throw themselves head first into a tight jam that blends ska rhythms with a pub rock rowdiness. It’s immediately classic Shuffle, but the second verse is where this really hits home, though, with the protagonist reaching out to those who may need a strong shoulder and sympathetic ear. He suggests that small steps are a big motive for personal change, and by taking the small steps and not giving up, you can make it through. The message is simple, yet never patronising – and for those not into message-oriented material, the bouncing basslines, Jerry Dammers-esque organ work and football terrace styled “whoah”s will certainly be catchy enough to make this track stand.

…And for any new listeners looking for an easy – and very familiar – entry point, the defiantly old-school sound of the title cut will certainly appeal. The same ska influenced approach runs through the centre of the track, but a faster tempo, a tighter groove and a few more prominent punky guitars dropping in make it feel like the perfect concoction of all of Buster Shuffle’s sounds and influences. By the time the rousing hook hits a second time, underscored by a wall of noisy guitar, it feels like the kind of track you’ve known forever, but that’s a good thing. Not that it’s a phoned in performance, either: the atmospheric layers of organ that are used to both introduce and wind up the number are pleasingly subtle, whilst intermittent, slower melodies are effective in countering the noisier elements. At this number’s most accessible, the band show off more of a love of a 60s jangle pop-oriented sound, but playing for those who love the punkier aspects, Jet’s vocals are sharper than ever.

In a world where a lot of the twenty first century ska bands come with a pop punk edge and American twang – many of which feel like an overspill from ska’s third wave, instigated by Operation Ivy – it’s great to hear a band clinging onto what can only be described as a very British, 2-Tone influenced sound. The London accent mightn’t suit all tastes, but its perfect for Buster Shuffle’s natural and narrative approach, giving the material an edge, but never in a threatening way. If you still love old school ska, the classic sounds of Madness, and some of the less punk-oriented material from Snuff, ‘Together’ is definitely an album for you.

March 2025