In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a ska fan. The genre in general just doesn't do it for me. To my ears, it's a somewhat homogenized and monotonous sound, and ultimately has something of a narcoleptic effect on me. So it was with trepidation that I approached The Aggrolites [ tickets ], a reggae outfit from Los Angeles. To my surprise, they won me over right at the outset.

Loose but firmly entrenched in the pocket, The Aggrolites strike me as what might have been the result of David Ruffin fronting Booker T. & The M.G.'s as they try their hand at ska during an after-hours studio party. What allows The Aggrolites to transcend the style where so many others have trafficked in carbon-copy bar-bandness is the combined power of whiskey-soaked soul in Jesse Wagner's vocals and the Stax-like limberness of the band. Mainly, though, it's Wagner's voice that separates the band from a million other faceless pogo-mongers. His is a spot-on soul instrument that, transplanted in this context, makes the music positively cook. It's truly a terrific combination that brings to life nearly every song on the record.

"IV" is a spirited, lively, and practically endless collection of 21 tunes, almost all of which is uniformly terrific. Opener "Firecracker" swings with elastic verve, kicking up dust and setting the tone from the word go. "Wild Time" has a lot of fun with its studio-party atmosphere, sounding like a wise engineer happened to be around to capture a drunken reggae hootenanny. First single "The Sufferer" bounces along off a wistfully melodic tune, with its classic guitar tone adding a touch of class. It's confident and assured stuff.

Surprisingly, even the ballads work. "Tear That Falls" doesn't sound like they're stretching outside their comfort zone in the least; with the soul foundation underpinning their vibe, it works. And closing track "It's Gonna Be OK" is a beautiful amalgam of sprightly bounce-in-place punky reggae party and soul ballad, a gorgeous encapsulation of everything they do.

"IV" is great from start to finish. And if you get a chance, see them live; their energy more than makes the translation onto the stage.