I’ve got in my CD player a 5 song sampler of the new UB40 album, Twentyfourseven, which is released June 16th, 2008. The songs that I’m listening to now are some of the best that I’ve heard from UB40.

Over the years, I was never able to acquire a taste for the band, although there have been many people in my life who have been fans of UB40…they never connected with me. Until now.

“Dance Until The Morning Light” with Maxi Priest and featuring DJ Rapper Truth and “Lost and Found” are the tracks on the upcoming double A sided single released in the UK on June 9th. This will be their first single from Twentyfourseven.

The songs are great choices for a first release. With Maxi Priest singing, along with the familiar sample loop of Desmond Dekker and the Aces’ hit “Israelites”, the upbeat, sure to be a club favorite, “Dance Until The Morning Light” is classic. The vocal melody on “Lost and Found” sits nicely in along with the bass line and brings to light a refreshing subtleness that many bands are unable to capture these days.

The instrumentation, vocals and harmonies on “Rainbow Nation” are superb along with strong lyrics. Hopefully this song will receive a high amount of radio airplay.

“The Road” has that, “I feel like I’m in Jamaica feel” to it and reminds me of the time that I was in Negril. The vocals are cool, the horns add a nice element, and the vocal breakdown is smooth with a chilled out, laid back bass groove. The political nature of the lyrics are reminiscent of one of my favorite reggae artists, the late Lucky Dube (video). A brilliant track.

From what I’ve heard so far, UB40’s Twentyfourseven could be the album of the summer for music fans wanting a change from the current radio norm. Twentyfourseven will be the perfect accompaniment to barbecues, garden parties - and don’t forget the Red Stripe!

UB40 - Twentyfourseven on amazon.co.uk

UB40 on amazon.com

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By: Jenny May - BandWeblogs.com