King Creosote

Coast On By

Domino

Coming about almost by accident, King Creosote’s new single proved to be the perfect uplifting song for a glorious Sunday evening drive down the A9 with lambs frolicking in the fields and the sun setting in the rear view mirror.

Recorded with the help of Steve Mason (Beta Band, King Biscuit Time, Black Affair) the track feels effortlessly serene for an apparent product of the ‘tour-tired blues’.

The lyrics speak of an oblivious optimism – combine this with the tinker of a piano (and do I hear a triangle?), catchy beat and grungy baseline and you’re left with three minutes of feel good hooks and harmonies. It’s therefore surprising the explanation as to how the song came about involves words like “bungled”, “duff” and plenty of ad-libbing.

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The Dykeenies

Sounds of the City

King Tut's

The Dykeenies – Sounds of the City

After the success of their 2007 album Nothing Means Everything and live appearances everywhere from King Tut’s to Edinburgh Castle, Scottish four piece The Dykeenies are back with their new single Sounds of the City.

A bit different for the boys from Cumbernauld, the song features a string quartet – the violins adding a bit of urgency to what I am tempted to call an emotionally-driven love song. The dance rhythm of the bass drum provides an interesting accompaniment to the sophistication of the cello for the intro and I can see what they have tried to do here (although not convinced by the sound effect not dissimilar to the echo of horse hooves made using coconut shells). With so many indie bands churning out some pretty monotonous stuff these days, they have attempted to create a bit more atmosphere than the usual angst can muster.

Taking away the strings the single does feel a bit familiar though, reminding me of Canadians Simple Plan and the lyrics reminiscent of many an American pop/punk band – Something Corporate also spring to mind. But there are the usual uplifting melodies to sing along to and a chorus which is already stuck in my head, which surely won’t disappoint fans.

It’s good to see a band like The Dykeenies trying to progress and do some experimenting of their own. If anything ‘Sounds of the City’ shows the band have plenty to bring to the table yet and are brimming with confidence that this year can be as good as the last.

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