A few nights ago I was bemoaning the fact that there’s barely
anything that the mainstream is peddling that has any real vibrancy.
It’s as if the surface noise has to be stripped clean of any
passion and all that is deemed acceptable for mass consumption has to be filed
under B for bland.
Even when they try to dress the latest hit up in outrage we
can all see the seams.
It’s all just so transparently boring.
And yet lurking just slightly out of view there is a never
ending stream of outrageously talented individual writing and performing material
that really should be gaining far more attention than it does.
It’s as if the music Business (lower case m and capital B)
flipped everything on its head and the acts that would have struggled to get a
deal a few decades ago are now on top with the real talent is hanging on the
bottom rung wondering what the fuck happened.
For example here we have Scarlets newly out the gate with a
three track ep that in years gone past would have started off a bidding war between
major labels.
A&R men would have been stripped to the waist and
trading punches out of the back for the chance for an audience with the band.
Promises would be made, stardom offered and a limo would be
on speed dial for them.
It really is that good.
On the opening track ‘Waiting for the Birds’ they lay down
some stomping glam infused rock that sits comfortably astride the
Levellers-esque sounding violin.
If the devil went down to Georgia then he would have been
handed his arse in a basket.
Insurance companies are going to have to add some more small
print to venue policies stating that roofs being blown off will be considered
an act of God or maybe due to a performance by Scarlets, but regardless they
aint paying out.
Then in an obvious attempt to show the breadth of what they
can do the band take it down a few notches and dip their toes into the power ballad
pool.
‘Already Knew’ features the duel vocal talents of Scarlets
frontman Dougie McSween dieting with Scotlands leading female rock and
roller Christie Connor-Vernal.
The word play, the vocal performance, strings and guitar
solo in this would weaken the knees.
It’s literally faultless and while I have no doubt that the
band can do it justice without Christie live it has to be said that when they
share a mic on this you will be treated to an experience that will immediately crash
in on the your top ten gig highlights ever.
Finishing on a high literally as the track is called ‘High’
they channel all their love for rockin’ power pop into a song that evokes the best
of the eighties without sounding dated in any way at all.
Well crafted from start to finish this ep screams that you
aint seen nothing yet.
Don’t wait for the album coming out.
Jump on the bandwagon just now.
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