Steve Mason was the voice of The Beta Band and therefore, being so distinctive, he always will be The Beta Band. I was enthused by his solo debut album ‘Boys Outside’ and now he’s gone and released another one, ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’. With twenty tracks lasting almost an hour, it’s too long and begs the question how much better it would have been if he’d weeded it out. That said, it’s another solid offering, this time dabbling in dub, hip-hop and gospel resulting in a politically infused album that is worth taking the time to get into.
