Stranger Cole may be well past eighty, but the veteran singer clearly has no plans of slowing down just yet. For the first time since his 'More Life' EP with The Steadytones back in 2018, he's returned to the studio, this time for 'Royal', a collaborative project with Dutch singer Patsy (Renske De Boer).
By Jah Rebel
In a sense, the circle is complete, as Stranger famously began his career as one half of the original Stranger & Patsy, alongside Millicent ‘Patsy’ Todd.
This new Patsy hails from the Upsessions camp, and it’s none other than Upsessions frontman Boss Capone who handled production duties on ‘Royal’.
Musically, the album is a loving throwback to early 1960s Jamaica, when the island was riding the wave of its first ska explosion. Songs like opener ‘What A Bam Festival’, ‘Hot Like Cooking Pot’ or ‘I Want To Ball’ sound like long-lost gems from that golden era, but not every track hits quite as hard.
‘Royal’ may not be the album Stranger Cole will be remembered for, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint either. And thanks to the collaboration with Patsy, it adds a noteworthy footnote to Cole’s long and remarkable career.
