The Specials Encore (2Lp/Red Vinyl/Deluxe)

3.5 stars out of 5 -- "The cover is the best sort of revival: old meeting new on equal footing, using the past as a springboard to an improved, remixed future."
"'BLM' sees Golding conversationally reciting experiences of racism over a funk groove, while 'The Life And Times (Of A Man Called Depression)' sees Hall deliver a brilliantly poetic, soul-baring monologue about mental illness..."
4 stars out of 5 -- "These are tracks cutting deep into the malignant tumours of society, out to heal them by brutal, frank exposure."
Paste (magazine) - "The Specials sound is more The Coup than the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It's danceable, sure, but there's a sinister edge, and the album spans more than just your classic ska and reggae beats."
Clash (Magazine) - "[I]t's a ruthlessly entertaining, hugely outspoken, inspired and inspiring experience, one that doffs its cap to those iconic opening statements while remaining resolutely rooted in 2019."