This is So Cow's fifth album. They originate from Galway in Ireland but don't sound all that Irish. The album is being released by 3 labels from Chicago and Seattle and it finds So Cow main man Brian Kelly going back to being more or less a one man band even though listening to the album you'd never guess as much.
Opener What Makes A Man Start Gorse Fires sounds so much like Human Hands after they re-united that I was surprised to find that So Cow aren't connected to that legendary and overlooked LA band. Nonetheless, this is very cool, laid back indie as the songs' narrator tries to decide whether to start the fire or not. Such dichotomies, eh?
Asleep On A Bus is rather urgent-sounding like they have actually found an express service and are really making good time while sleeping the journey away. The instrumental bit in the middle sounds like they have come to the end of the motorway and have hit traffic getting into whatever city the bus is headed for.
Captain Of Industry may have a knapsack on his back but he isn't using Shanks' Pony to get around. It features some cool stuff going on. Westerly Direction reminds me of the sort of song that shows up on obscure compilations and sounds like it shoulda come from Cleveland rather than Galway; especially the weird ending.
Disengagement sees Brian looking at how happy you might be after splitting up and asking questions such as whether someone wants to be buried or cremated. By contrast, it includes some cool backing vocals and almost buried keyboards underneath the indie pop.
At Home is somewhere between Human Hands and the better end of The Posies' oeuvre with cool, narrative-style vocals. How does he get that sound that comes out of the left hand speakers at the start of Something More? It is wonderfully squelchy and weird before the song gets going and the choral-esque backing vocals come in. A very cool little song.
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No Trades is a good Irish road tour of a song that sounds so much like Human Hands on the Emily Watson EP it's unreal. I have to say I love it for just that reason. I do hope So Cow are familiar with Human Hands. One of the best songs on the album, this should be a single.
Batman Tonight is much slower and less augmented: basically just bass and some keyboard noises that swirl about in a cool way. The Invigilator is another slower song but with more very cool keyboards.It's more kitsch meets kitchen sink drama.
Wait It Out is like a fast-paced begging letter to someone. Not sure if you want to wait it out or not but how is this relationship gonna happen or not gonna happen and what's going on? Whatever the outcome, it's a cool garage rock story song.
The album closes with Half Past: kind of a seduction routine that starts as a slow stroll towards the dance floor as they implore you to ignore the cliche and join them, taking a good twirl across the floor. As the pleading gets more ardent and the guitar gets more frantic will she say yes or no and tell him to stop being so soppy and sod off? You may have to buy the album to find out.
Find out more at Jigsaw Records Bandcamp Pages
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