Glasvegas – Glasvegas
Filed under: Album Reviews by Kirk1 Comment »
Debut that excels under the gloom.
An album can draw you in many ways. There are albums that are catchy with plenty of hooks and hit the right notes in the right places. There are albums that are heavy, full of ear spitting riffs that demand to be head banged too. Then there are albums that lyrically can reach you on a personal level. This is where Glasvegas come in.
A four piece from Glasgow, this music is fuelled by emotion, driven at full speed straight into your sub conscious. The first three tracks “Flowers And Footballtops” “Geradine” and “It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry” is the best start to an album that could possibly be done. For a band’s debut to have such an ambitious start is something to behold. At your first listen whatever you like this type of music or not it will affect you on some musical level I assure you. Yes of course I understand this band would be tagged as “depressing” or “gloomy” music but a fair level of respect should be directed towards a genuine attempt at trying to make a modern day classic, unfortunately this good start is not matched until the final track.
Now it’s not that the other songs are in turn bad or not worth your time, in fact “Polmont On My Mind” and “Go Square Go” are good songs in their own right. It’s just that they simply cannot match the level that the beginning of the album demonstrates. The album does fall into the samey category at times, and James Allen singing will bring out the “love it or hate it” divide. Also a couple of the songs feel overcooked especially “Stabbed” which is too obvious for its own good. A song which gives a short insight into local gangs in Glasgow, thou it just doesn’t feel like a song at all. It feels like more of a public service announcement splashed with Beethoven in the background, it’s not a song you’re be playing over and over again.
The album finishes with “Ice Cream Van” and what a track to finish with. It’s a song that really needs to go down as one of the most spine tingling ways to end an album, especially the last 3 minutes of the song……mesmerising.
The style of the music and the style of the lyrics go hand in hand this is helped majorly by the presence of drummer Caroline McKay who’s well timed clubbing of her small drum set really help the songs grow in stature.
I’m sure you will hear many positive and negative remarks in regards to Glasvegas, but what I would say is listen to this album and dislike or like it for the right reasons and not class this album as “depressive” due to its content, because it’s so much more than that.
Rating: 
1. Flowers And Football Tops
2. Geraldine
3. It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
4. Lonesome Swan
5. Go Square Go
6. Polmont On My Mind
7. Daddy’s Gone
8. Stabbed
9. S.A.D. Light
10. Ice Cream Van
Songs to try before you buy: Flowers And Football Tops. Geraldine, It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry, Ice Cream Van
Song to avoid: Stabbed
