Le Reno Amps come from a similar tradition of left-field songwriting as the Pixies and The Violent Femmes. The Aberdonian quartet’s music is hard to pigeonhole, which is a pretty good thing in itself. Whether you call it rockabilly, power pop, or alternative country, there’s no doubt that the songwriting partnership of Scott Maple and Al Nero have captured a distinctive voice for their band. Le Reno Amps are upbeat, quirky and rollicking good fun.
The stripped-back production from Sons and Daughters cohort Andy Millar serves the direct style of the songs well. There’s no mucking about here, just punchy, tightly arranged tunes with ear-catching melodies.
‘Outlaws’ is a stomping start to the album, as Scott Maple describes his attempts to salvage his relationship with his girlfriend while having to deal with her disapproving parents. ‘You Do Your Thing’, ‘Threads’ and ‘Going Under’ also offer tales of estranged relationships over some beefy riffage.
Things come to a head on ‘The Stand Off’ as Maple yells ‘I’ve Got My Pride’ in anguished fashion before a deranged heavy-metal outro kicks in. The song then segues nicely into the serene acoustic finger-picking and plaintive slide-guitar of ‘Body’ in what is the album’s most sublime moment.
Musically, Le Reno Amps are ploughing a more unfashionable furrow than most, so they probably won’t attract too many skinny-jean clad indie hipsters. However, those who are simply fans of good music should embrace this band in all their energetic, hard-rocking glory!