As a fixture within the punk underground, Booze & Glory have spent years carving out a niche with a street punk sound that crosses the more melodic aspects of Rancid with Swingin’ Utters. For lovers of that style, B&G have more than succeeded in sharing a world of rousing hooks.

A new project launched in 2024, The Gamblers finds the band’s vocalist – the mononymed Mark – branching out into the world of reggae. Their first release gives listeners a really well formed and direct example of the band’s sound, and by coupling a self-penned workout with a tune that’ll be familiar to almost everyone, it provides an easy entry point into their catalogue.

‘Tonight’ is a well arranged slab of boss reggae, opening with the kind of voice over that calls back to the work of Dave and Ansell Collins, and a hard edged snare that cracks with intent against an immediate bass. Moving into the verse, the bass – very naturally – takes the lead, working a groove with a really warm tone. Against the rocksteady rhythm, a piercing organ lays down moments a pointed melody that’s inspired by the legendary Jerry Dammers, before breaking into elements that appear to owe a little more to The Upsetters. Naturally, this track has a bigger production sound than many of the Trojan recordings it aims to emulate, but the lack of punky edge brought by many to this kind of arrangement makes it feel so much more authentic. Mark’s vocal could be accused of a little cultural appropriation, since he approaches it with an obvious accent, but in his defence, it just wouldn’t sound right with a North American punk sneer, or more of a street punk feel. With that said, he attacks a superb hook with enthusiasm, and it’s very much the kind of track that a couple of plays could make a favourite. It’s possibly even one of the best examples of punk musicians venturing into a more traditional reggae sphere since Tim Armstrong released the underrated ‘A Poet’s Life’ in 2007.

Joining ‘Tonight’, The Gamblers put their mark on The Pioneers’ ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’ – a genuine Trojan Records classic, which reached #5 on the UK singles chart in September 1971. The drum sound and organ during the intro are arguably more aggressive, playing a little more like one of Rancid’s moon stompers, but by the time the vocal arrives, the music drops into a classic reggae riff, allowing the bass and keys to work a groove that feels very natural. Mark instinctively seems to recognise that his chosen style lends itself well to a rousing gang vocal and that’s sold effortlessly on the familiar hook. During the second half of the track, The Gamblers add a little of their own charm by first taking the riff and slowing it to allow for a deeper sounding breakdown, and then speeding the tempo to allow more of a ska feel which, naturally, creates a superb contrast and also cranks up the feel-good vibes.

‘Tonight’ is strong, but the Pioneers track seals the deal here. Due to being over-familiar, that song makes this recording particularly effective in showcasing the band’s collective talents. It’s great to hear them dropping their own flourishes into something most people will have heard a thousand times, too. It doesn’t challenge the audience, but instead, the slightly new slant allows the listener to pick up on how tight The Gamblers are. In Mark’s own sales pitch, he stresses that this “isn’t pure early reggae” but “the sound of a modern band playing with enthusiasm, excitement and love”. If you’re able to buy into that – and likely spent the 90s listening to bands like The Slackers and Hepcat – then this release is certainly worth investing in.

February 2025