Usually when a genre starts doubling back upon itself, eating its roots in a cannibalistic attempt to move itself forward, it’s a sure sign its...

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Usually when a genre starts doubling back upon itself, eating its roots in a cannibalistic attempt to move itself forward, it’s a sure sign its end is near. The Gadjits, hanging out with the Soul Man or Jimmy Jazz as much as Rudie on Wish We’d Never Met, prove otherwise, however, putting ska’s roots together in ways making cannibalism seem the height of chic. Eat your heart out, Donner party.

The Gadjits must have a larger record collection than most of their ska buddies and are unafraid to dip into it for inspiration on this album. From outright soul to Specials-vintage ska, the band indulges in a wider range of flavors on this album, giving it a much broader feel than its previous records. Strangely enough, though the band draws primarily on sounds strongly influencing the ska of yesteryear, the Gadjits’ sound meshes well with modern ska, though showing a strong sense of its roots often absent in the days of Reel Big Fish, Buck-O-Nine and mindless upstroke mania.

Thicker compositions are featured on this record, from the soul/ska mix of "Bad Gadjit," blending organ melodies in its verse with jerky ska rhythms in its chorus, to the rockabilly intro of "Carnival Sense," lifted neatly from "Jailhouse Rock," to Brandon Phillips’ best impression of the Specials’ Terry Hall on tracks like "Cowboys Always Win." Though not exactly the epitome of groundbreaking, Wish We’d Never Met puts as novel twist on its ingredients as is humanly possible.

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