Montreal ska group One Night Band’s sophomore release, Hit & Run, shows development in the group’s dynamic.

After losing their horn section, it appears ONB is compensating the honks and blows with an organ. Surprisingly, this works out pretty well.

The now four-piece band has been together for four years and their love affair with reggae dominates the sound of this album.

Opener “Wait a Minute” starts with a thunderous guitar riff and banging drums and tambourine. Vocalist Alex Giguere sounds pretty raspy (a move away from his cleaner sounding voice on their first release). About a minute in, they transition into their usual ska-reggae sound. The organ solo is a nice break from the typical guitar solo heard in rock acts. This song is perfect for the pit, allowing for fast movement and slower sultry skanking.

Although the album starts with an energetic hit, the rest stales down to a repetitive pattern of fast guitar strumming, drum pounding, and an organ solo thrown in with a return to reggae beats.

It sounds like ONB is in a transition place. The organ bit is cool, but complete reliance on the instrument isn’t enough to make up for the lack of horns. With their first release (Way Back Home) every song sounded distinctly different, while with Hit & Run the tracks sound too similar.

The album’s gem is “Trigger” - a song about struggle and putting the pieces back together. The simplicity of the song structure is what’s so appealing. The standard upstroke guitar and un-complicated drums blends well to make a song that sounds peppy and uplifting (even though the lyrics aren’t). Mixing scats and claps near the middle is reminiscent of second wave ska (British-ska).

Overall, the album is well produced (by Brian Dixon of The Aggrolites) and is perfect for party/background music. It’s safe to compare ONB to The Slackers.

To hear the band check out: www.myspace.com/theonenightband