If you’ve been worrying that there are not enough characters or genuine musical mavericks left in Scotland, it’s time to settle down and make yourself a little less comfortable. Paul Vickers & The Leg are back and with an album entitled The Greengrocer, they clearly have your health and well-being at heart.
‘The Tulips of Delft’ is a breath-taking rattle, the ceaseless rhythm and clanging bells could lead to a parody in some hands but here, it works, and works well. ‘The Bendy Bridge’ is an absolute blast, part 1920s Delta Blues, part 60s frazzled psych-rock, punctured with Vickers’ yelps and old-time payoff. The lyrics are off the wall, combining with a vocal delivery that brings Captain Beefheart to mind and the instrumentation sets off on so many rhythms that it is hard to catch up or even keep track of where it’s all going.
For all that though, there is a connecting thread running through the album, and even with the mid-song breakdown of ‘Chaos Magic’, it’s likely to be the most commercial work that Paul Vickers has produced in…well let’s just say quite a long time.
Yes, The Leg are allowed to run wild at times on the songs but the talk of these songs being pulled together first on acoustic guitar, before being pulled apart in a variety of directions, rings true. The title track is perhaps the most Don Van Vliet track on the album, but it’s all housed with a touch of melody and charm. ‘Seven Floors Of Pleasure’ is the perfect example of the upbeat and uplifting spirit found on the record, while the jauntiness of ‘Straggler On The Run’ allows the record to tail off with exactly the right amount of gravitas.
It’s not an album that is off-kilter just for the sake of it; it’s an album that’s been wonderfully crafted with the intention of creating a joyous and messy yet deliberate collection.
RT @isthismusic: Album review – Paul Vickers & The Leg – ‘The Greengrocer’ http://t.co/r4p6vSwXPX @twonkeys
@isthismusic Thats a lovely review your right its as close as i have come in recent times to a big hitter..i.e an album that could be a hit.
@isthismusic And thank you.
I’ve really enjoyed the new @twonkeys album…and I think you will too. http://t.co/9QjYC5ESvY
RT @andysays78: I’ve really enjoyed the new @twonkeys album…and I think you will too. http://t.co/9QjYC5ESvY