If you think this Stellenbosch band's name is misleading, then take a look at the original, red "skull & crossbones" danger sign adorning the cover of their new album and you'll be totally confused. But that's just indicative of the wicked sense of humour that pervades all the inventive songs these ous release.

So Dorp are not a metal band from the Karoo, instead, they are among the brightest lights on the current SA pop-rock scene. 'Danger Gevaar Ingozi', their third release after 'Indigenous Jewellery' and 'Five Steps Off The Pacemaker', finds them in their familiar SA-ska-with-deceptively-strange-lyrics territory, a niche they've made all their own.

Pieter Bezuidenhout (vocals) and Dylan Kelmo (bass) share most of the songwriting credits for these nine songs with David Poole (sax) adding
infectious brass arrangements to his ever-present sax appeal. With Kevin Kieswater on guitar and keyboard and drummer Tim Rankin underpinning this bag of tricks with a solid and slick beat, Dorp have produced yet another winning album full of jump-around compositions and David Lynch lyrics.

The scratchy-guitar funk groove of the 'Intro (Klein Broeder)' is happily fleshed out on the closing track 'Big Brooder (Outro). Between these two deceptive bookmarks are seven examples of Dorp's quirky sound. 'Cheap Tricks' has an ominous James Bond bass riff counterpointing the falsetto vocals. 'Tinkerbell' swings along with a big band feel and the brooding 'Toupee' curiously proclaims "With my toupee I'll rule the world"…huh?

'Put Off Saving The World' lays out Dorp's pessimistic feelings about the "new" SA and 'Comfortably Dumb' mis-namechecks the miserable Pink Floyd song before dancing off in the other direction accompanied by the energetic 'Poison Fruit'.

So why the 'Danger' warning on the cover? Possibly it's because Dorp have again wrapped their deep and dark thoughts in some irresistible dance tunes. For them, the "ska" is definitely not the limit.

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman

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