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The WireMar 7, 2019Encore is Hall’s first record under the moniker since the 1981 single “Ghost Town”, and with guitarist Lynval Golding and bassist Horace Panter in the fold, it feels more like The Specials than anything has in a long time. [Mar 2019, p.59]
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Q MagazineFeb 4, 2019An album very much worthy of The Specials' name. [Mar 2019, p.118]
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Feb 4, 2019Hall’s deadpan tones offer the same strangely reassuring grounded presence on the opening track, a bullish political anthem Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys. Yet with its slick funk and soul groove, I can’t remember the Specials ever sounding quite so smooth.
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Feb 1, 2019From the very first note Encore is superb, a joyous, addictive experience. Remarkably, it’s everything we’d want from a Specials album in 2019 and more.
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Feb 1, 2019The Specials remain adept at appropriating the songs of others to further fuel their message.
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Jan 31, 2019Encore essentially mingles mellowed ska and reggae with funk disco, Latin hints and spoken-word pieces.
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Apr 1, 2019Encore won't change the world, it won't inspire the youth to fight but it cements The Specials place as vital political commentators with a legacy that can't be understated.
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Feb 4, 2019With signpost singers Terry Hall and Lynval Golding in place, and Horace Panter holding down the bass lines, the classic sound is fairly intact, as is the spirit.
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UncutJan 31, 2019Encore is a perfectly good record. ... But one can't help but wonder how Dammers' wayward genius might have added a level of glorious unpredictability to proceedings. [Mar 2019, p.22]
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Feb 4, 2019It’s danceable, sure, but there’s a sinister edge, and the album spans more than just your classic ska and reggae beats. It’s easy to listen to, easy to get lost in. Music to fight the power by.