Great Expectation

A folk style with ensemble vocals, banjo and distinct African percussion, mento was Jamaica's leading style from the 1920s onwards, before being usurped by rock steady and reggae, influenced by 60s R&B and soul. Long ago, The Jolly Boys were among the island's top acts, hitting gold for a time as the 50s house band on actor Errol Flynn's yacht, Zacra, moored on Navy Island, Port Antonio. Given the distinct lack of mento recordings available, and the band's illustrious history, this could be a Buena Vista Social Club in the making. They're a band that's perfect, as well, for today's retro-obsessed music market. Sadly this promise is in no way fulfilled in Great Expectation. The album delivers a modern mento that finds frontman Albert Minott singing evergreens from a rock repertoire rather than mento classics. The result is wholly underwhelming and constitutes a major lost opportunity to bring mento to a wider public. The few standout tracks are the upbeat ones where the band sound like they are enjoying themselves. Sonny Curtis’ ‘I Fought the Law’ is a true crowd pleaser, with Minott's gravelly baritone scraping the sawdust-chocked floor effectively. ‘Ring of Fire’, likewise, is convincingly expressive. Other covers – ‘Perfect Day’ and a painful version of Amy Winehouse's ‘Rehab’ – fail to convince or do justice to this fabulous band. Perhaps their new promoters are being strategic, and a follow-up will ditch the modern covers for a tried-and-tested, banjo-twanging, lyrically adroit and wildly percussive traditional album. That's what the world needs to hear.