With the release of their self-titled debut album, the group of Scotsmen with the clever name reaped their fair share of critical acclaim. Tonight they are stepping back into the spotlight as they are playing a concert in New York to support the stateside release of their debut album. If you want to know whether or not it is worth your money and attention, read on to find out how we rate this album.

Revolutionary might not be the the appropriate word to describe the album, but there is no doubt that it differs vastly from what we have come to expect from the British pop/rock scene lately. Each and every song on the album is beautifully arranged with pompously grandiose instrumental compositions in the center of attention, and the lyrics of the songs are nearly forgotten because the vocals seem like a secondary part of the sound spectrum. That’s not to say they aren’t good, because both James Allan’s lead vocals and the backing vocals of Paul Donoghue seem to fit just perfectly in with the sound of the album.

Flowers & Football Tops is a fitting and near epic introduction to the rest of the album. Written as a tribute, if not specifically to Kriss Donald, a 15 year old boy who was murdered in Glasgow, at least to every young man that has been abruptly derived of a future, as leaving flowers and football tops (and scarves) at the scene or grave is a traditional way to honor these young men in Britain.

The album then continues with the radio hit Geraldine, and then fan favourite It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry, which was one of the tracks that made the band semi-famous quite some time before they signed their record deal and released this album. Both songs continue in the same path that the opening track set, lyrically tackling the classic themes of love and betrayal in a way that portrays Allen as a rarely gifted storyteller.

With the middle section of the album the band continues to build on the strengths set by the openers, and the result is a handful of songs that are all more than good individually to make great singles, yet at the same time contribute to the coherency of the album as a whole. The album ends on a darker and more disturbing note, both lyrically and musically, as Stabbed sets the tone for the last three tracks that all seem  to stray away from the unified sound of the first two thirds of the record.

Ultimately this is a solid debut album from a band we’ll be following with expectations and excitement in the future. Whether or not they catch on in America remains to be seen, as they appear very rooted in the British culture both with the themes of the their songs and the obvious Scottish accent. Whether or not that is enough to make US music enthusiasts shun away from a great album will be interesting to find out!

You can purchase Glasvegas digitally or as a CD from Amazon.

/ Posted: Jan 07, 2009
/ Written by: Lars-Christian
/ Category: Album Reviews
/ Artist(s): Glasvegas