Camden Town’s ska boys are back, with what is their 10th studio album. And a fine thing it is too.
After 2009’s ambitious The Liberty Of Norton Folgate, for this outing the Maddies have returned to what they do best, blending ska and two-tone beats with reggae and R&B, in the process creating some thoroughly infectious and catchy pop music.
The songs on Oui Oui… are a celebration of love, loss and nostalgia. ‘My Girl 2’ is the overdue sequel to 1979’s ‘My Girl’; the wistful ‘Never Knew Your Name’ imagines a romantic affair that sadly never was; ‘Misery’ and ‘So Alive’, meanwhile, are ‘classic’ Madness, infectious tunes that should please die-hard fans.
Following their Olympic appearance, Suggs and co could’ve easily slumped into the role of ‘British Heritage Act’. But they haven’t, opting instead to keep the creative juices flowing. For that, much thanks.