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A Jackknife to a Swan

Mighty Mighty Bosstones

For nearly 17 years, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have been trend-proof. When the collection of plaid-suited musicians started out in 1985 in Boston, no one else was doing what they were: mixing ska, punk and reggae with everyday lyrical themes, sung in Dicky Barrett’s affable rasp. Now, with their new album and accompanying tour, the Bosstones are still rocking. The new album is the band’s strongest since “Question the Answers” in 1994. There’s chunky guitar on the title track, horn-flavored reggae on “Everybody’s Better” and an uncharacteristic harmonica-soaked acoustic turn on “Seven Ways to Sunday.”