Over the past two decades
Steve Mason
has strung together a consistently inventive solo career, reappearing every now and then with a slightly altered iteration of the nonconformist pop that made his first project, the ever-scrappy
Beta Band
, so exciting. On latter day records like
Meet the Humans
(2016) and
About the Light
(2019), the Scot has matured into a more introspective and organic tunesmith while also expanding his sonic palette into something lusher and less overtly D.I.Y. Not counting his work as
King Biscuit Time
or
Black Affair
, 2023's
Brothers & Sisters
is his fifth proper solo album.
Mason
's music has always struck an open, globalist attitude, but the scope seems somehow wider and more intentional here. Amid the more personal missives are calls for unity and fiery condemnations of post-Brexit Britain. Few are more rousing than "No More," a glowing anti-imperialism anthem with an Eastern flair and guest spot from Pakistani singer
Javed Bashir
. Similarly toned cuts like "I'm On My Way," "Brixton Fish Fry," and the strident title track find
in his wheelhouse, charging forward with the energy of his chosen cause. In its liberal politics and celebration of different cultures, it recalls the spirit of
Joe Strummer
's
Mescaleros
records, albeit with a more pop-driven and sonically elegant feel. Through it all,
's distinctive voice -- a hushed croon belying a hidden depth of thunder -- give his narratives gravitas and the album's production, a joint effort with London's
Tev'n
, builds an exciting world to match it. It's another solid effort from one of Scotland's finest. ~ Timothy Monger