These dudes have been kicking around for some time now and a new album from punk-ska troubadours The Offenders is always worth sitting up and paying attention to. I believe The Offenders originated from Italy but at some point their old trusty tour van decided to stop for good when they reached Berlin and a revamped band have been based there ever since. As a city it is the ideal adoptive home place for these boys who offer up a sound and style as varied just as the nightlife in Germany\’s dirty beautiful capital likes it. Bouncing easily from trad ska, up-beat mod and with more than a splash of punk and oi! peppered across their sound, The Offenders like to mix it up, but they play with the skills and experience of a band that knows what they\’re doing, so each song sits perfectly on here as the party blasts out from your stereo. I\’d compare them to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones or maybe Common Riders, not necessarily because they sound the same, but there are few bands that manage to pull off this mash-up with such warm natural flair. I\’ve only had this album for a couple of days but already I\’ve picked out a couple of instant hits – Kotti Is Not LA, Black Ceasar and One Of These Times stand out, and I can here there are some other slow burners that will become longer term faves. Another hit album from these angels with dirty faces. Tom Chapman