The Proclaimers
'Like Comedy'
(Cooking Vinyl)
Scotland 9 England 0
If our national football team were as skilled at their profession as the musicians and bands our country produce are at theirs we’d have won the World Cup so many times now they’d tell us to just keep it and start up another one without telling us. Even at that - we’d still win it! The Proclaimers are one of our greatest examples of this mastery. Ever since first hearing them on The Tube back in 1987 my opinion of them hasn’t changed - they are a great band who write outstanding songs and are flawless when playing live. They may forever exemplify, in the eyes of many, the image of ‘unlikeliest rock stars’ but I doubt the ignorance of such derogatory conjecture will keep them awake at nights much anymore. If any band need never again have to prove themselves or justify their place in music it’s them. The intellectual depths of their lyrics never fail to amaze…( Letter From America, Beautiful Truth, What Do You Do, The More I Believe etc etc) and then there’s the truly heart pounding anthems of sheer undiluted stirring devotion ( Sunshine On Leith, The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues, Throw The ‘R’ Away, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles, Oh Jean and Act Of Remembrance) among so many more. Born in Leith, raised in Edinburgh and Auchtermuchty, as Scottish as you’ll ever get then. The ‘unlikely rock stars’ return with their ninth studio album.
Love, self destruction, masculinity and romanticism are rummaged through and delivered in the customary Scottish, straight talking, thought provoking etiquette they have so gloriously made their own. Jaunty opener ‘Whatever You’ve Got’ is trademark Proclaimers energetic pop/rock with much guitar and sing-along catchy hooks. Hushed ballad ‘Simple Things’ serves only to create a grand entrance for new single ‘Spinning Around In The Air’ a bouncy, piano/guitar/chant drenched anthem of comedic but nicely written lyrical wit - ‘let me give praise to your sparkling eyes and your coloured hair, let me spend ages on poetic phrases to show I care, let me go grazing on dapple green pastures with you the mare….let me rephrase that, I think there’s a better line there’. A cross between endearing nonsense and the over emphasised thoughts which giddy declarations of love shall project, it’s simplistic genius and guaranteed to lift a nation to it’s feet - reluctantly or otherwise. Further balladeering - just another example of Craig and Charlie’s versatility - comes in the shapes of sadness tinged ‘After You’re Gone’ the intimate piano led ‘Dance With Me’ and profound ‘There’s’, an observational list of thoughts and ponderings as direct as they are softly uttered - ‘there’s the irony I lack’ , the presence of the sincerity which is forever the backbone of their songs can be heard again and again, refreshing in it’s truths, romantic in it’s vulnerabilities.
The Proclaimers have once again served up the songs you’ll eventually connect with. They’ll make you think, make you reminisce, make you happy and comfort you through sad. Intuitive lyrics welded to perfectly angled musicianship….and the foot-tapping, feel good factor is yours free of charge. Craig and Charlie Reid are THE chiefs…and Leith will once again be drenched in the sunshine they make.
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