The impressive musicianship found on McAllister’s album gives each song a crisp, effervescent quality. The nimble horns and deft rhythm are only overshadowed by Sara’s lithe voice. She has the necessary vocal agility to pull off the lively pop-infused ska that enlivens the spirit.
Sara often strips down the band for live performances but keeps the spirit alive with only Anamieke Quinn backing her on stand-up bass. These shows have the fun-loving feeling of a girls’ night out but both ladies are feisty musicians who can kick it on an all-ska line-up with the rough-and-tumble boys of other local acts like the Two-Tone Lizard Kings and Liam & the “Ladies.”
Whether at a live show or mellowing with the album, Sara McAllister’s music proves good for your soul.
Sara McAllister is therapeutic pop for the modern world. And no matter what you music cynics might be thinking, I mean this in a very positive way. When deflated by the daily toil, Sara McAllister can fill your chest with airy bliss and devil-may-care. McAllister’s album Pheetown Girl exemplifies the playfulness of acoustic ska turning the grind into a beat you can dance to.
