Glasgows the Scuffers proclaim to be alt-country, but after several listens to The Life I’ve Had it’s quite hard so see just what is ‘alt’ about it. It’s country music, plain and simple, without so much of a hint of the Scottish twist they promised. There’s definately owe more to Kentucky than Kelvin. As a country album however, it’s incredibly good and features catchier songs than you might expect. Lead singer Gavin Wallace knows how to write a tune and the musicianship is strong and consistent, and there are strong hints of skiffle and folk that help in the moulding of their sound. Musically they’re close in sound to bands like True West and The Rockingbirds, but perhaps need to develop their own sound more before they can be compared to the likes of Whiskeytown and Uncle Tupelo. It’s a great country album, but that’s about it, and it’s not going to win over anyone not already a fan of the genre.
