Early reggae heads look sharp, for The Appetizers are back with new single Make It Reggay, on which they ‘make it reggae’ by looking – at least in part – to, er, funk for inspiration. For the proof of that, look no further than the intro, the first part of which does a pretty good impression of a slowed-down intro to Charles Wright & The 103rd St Watts Rhythm Band’s What Can You Bring Me and then (eight bars in) becomes Hammond funk for four more bars. Finally, at this point a very funky voice asks what the deal is? And then answers it’s own question with, “We’re gonna make it reggay!” Cue early reggae (hence the archaic spelling of ‘reggay) Hammond heat for the remainder of the track that will appeal to fans of such soulful new reggae acts as The Utopians and Night Owls as much as to those of orignal legends like Alton Ellis and Leroy Sibbles. Over on the flip, the band reggafies the squelching funk of New Orleans’ finest on A Message from The Meters. Make It Reggay is the first single to be taken from the band’s second studio LP, Keep Your Step, due in spring ’26.
(Out 6 February on Killer Groove Records)
