The O.T.T. Band- Love Me

ARTIST: The O.T.T. Band

ALBUM: Love Me

LABEL: Self-released

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 3-8-09

With 15 members, it's only natural that The O.T.T. Band should have a big, multi-genre sound. Given that a good part of the band consists of horn players, reggae and ska are natural fits, but there's also pop, rock 'n' roll, soul, and probably a half-dozen other things in the mix. The band's debut album starts off with fairly straightforward pop on "Don't Know," but dub fans will immediately catch the organs and the digital delay. "You Drugs and Booze" is lighthearted fare driven by a bouncy guitar line that recalls The Police's moodier reggae-driven side, and both "Rolling" and "Six Million Miles" are pleasantly stony, the latter full of tripped out guitar effects. The band also brings out a bit of schmaltz for their slower, sweeter numbers, filling out "What Can I" with strings and giving "Why Do People Change" some synthpop flavor via soft keyboards and clicking clockwork rhythm effects, but it works here because even the more serious numbers have a pleasantly lighthearted quality to them. Taking that to its extreme is "Sending in the Lions," a brash sing-along number that's like a less punk version of The Toy Dolls. Showing off their full range, The O.T.T. Band also present no less than three versions of this album's title track, ranging from an instrumental version driven by a twanging synth bass to an upbeat rock number to a Two Tone-inspired ska version that dials down the horns but brings in plenty of soulful backing vocals. Eclectic but clearly having fun with it, The O.T.T. Band will particularly appeal to fans of groups like Madness who similarly blurred the lines between underground ska and mainstream pop.

For more information, check out The O.T.T. Band on MySpace at www.myspace.com/ottbandcouk.