Band:	Skindred
Album:	Smile
Style:	Ragga, Alternative metal, Nu metal
Release date:	August 2023

01. Our Religion
02. Gimme That Boom
03. Set Fazers
04. Life That's Free
05. If I Could
06. L.o.v.e. (Smile Please)
07. This Appointed Love
08. Black Stars
09. State Of The Union
10. Addicted
11. Mama
12. Unstoppable
13. Upwards Falling [Signed Cd Exclusive bonus]

Smile? This is metal, I'll stand at the back and frown with my arms crossed, thank you very much.

Ah, reggae and metal: a combination that sounds odd on paper, like chilli and chocolate or bacon and vodka; two diametric opposites that shouldn't work together, but somehow the end results are much better than first thoughts would suggest. Masters of such sonic brewery are Welsh legends Skindred, a band who have certainly put the miles on the odometer to get where they are today. Though in recent years the band have become more notable for their live show than their studio output, their eighth, and latest, effort Smile is a return to form that fans have held out for since Union Black over a decade ago. 

While Skindred pretty much epitomise political partying, that being, mixing socio-political themes while keeping the party in full swing, in recent years they have often neglected the former and leant into the latter element, with the resulting music being enjoyable though sounding somewhat uninspired. It sounds as if the intervening five years since Big Tings have seen a fire lit underneath Skindred once more, as Smile sounds as if the band have a purpose beyond getting the audience to the Newport helicopter again. 

"Our Religion" will immediately have you worried if it's a harbinger of the quality to come; fear not, as "Gimmie That Boom" will assuage those fears, and herald in a sea change in quality and tempo that will have even the most stoic of listeners bouncing along. "Life That's Free" is a successful attempt at what "Our Religion" tried, and failed, to do. Smile is an enjoyable mix of the various elements that combine to make a good Skindred album; from the upbeat "Set Fazers" to the summer reggae anthem "L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)", and from the charged "Black Stars" to the ode to motherhood that is "Mama", Smile is a varied and powerful collection of tracks. 

The unquestionable highlight has to be "If I Could", a solid mix of strong songcraft with the underappreciated musicianship that Skindred possess. Webbe pushes himself vocally and makes the chorus a huge dopamine hit. "State Of The Union" is a breezy hit that has a stripped-back vibe that will also seep under your skin in understated fashion. 

The one glaring issue Smile has is how the album begins and ends; "Unstoppable" closes the album in similar fashion to how "Our Religion" opened it, in poor fashion. These two tracks are given prime spots that only serve to shine a spotlight on them rather than let them fade into mid-album obscurity. The other smaller issue is the production; it doesn't feel like it has much depth to it, with everything pushed to the front of the mix. This is good for songs that bring a party vibe, but the tracks that aim to bring an emotive edge to them, like "This Appointed Love", suffer as the style isn't well suited for them. 

Smile is a powerful statement, and one that breathes some of the vitality back into their studio output that Skindred have been lacking in recent years. While it does begin and end on weak notes, once you get into the album proper, then you will be transported back nearly twenty years to a time when the band were in their prime.