Friday, December 12, 2008

Which Bitch? - track by track

ALMOST two months before its release, the Razz has been given a listen to The View's second album, Which Bitch?

And it's a cracker, the highlight being Covers, their duet with fellow Scots singer Paolo Nutini.

It starts with the Dundee band's usual jaunty acoustic style and a bar-room piano before Paolo kicks off the singing with "I pull my covers off my lady in the night/to see the cold reaction when she realises actions I've taken/to start conversation." His harmonies with Kyle Falconer are fantastic.

The chorus is underpinned by an anthemic cello, which sounds like it's from Oasis' Wonderwall and a natty trumpet which make this a sure-fire musical highlight of 2009.

And it shows that despite their party animal past, The View have become a bigger and better band that has what it takes to get into the big league.

Which Bitch? is out on February 2 next year and is the follow-up to their 2007 album Hats Off To The Buskers.

But Kyle Falconer (vocals/guitar), Kieren Webster (vocals/bass), Pete Reilly (guitar) and Steve Morrison (drums) admit they were starting to worry people had forgotten about them.

Kieren said: "If a band who I liked disappeared for the best part of a year I'd probably have moved onto something else by now, so there was always that worry at the back of my mind that other people may think the same way.

"But our second album is better than our first, without a shadow of doubt.

"This record will surprise a lot of people.

I'd say its quite challenging in places."

Here's our track by track guide:
1: TYPICAL TIME 2
The album kicks off with a song that only lasts one minute and 30 seconds. The first thing we hear is a bluesy harmonica before a jaunty piano takes us to America's wild west. Great first lyrics: "We never spoke in three weeks man/and it's starting to freak me out/I hope there's no one gelling my bird together with all their sweet and utter charm".

2: 5REBBECCAS
This year's great comeback single. It's a fast and furious blend of Oasis and Status Quo and shows this is a band that could get a stadium jumping.

3: ONE OFF PRETENDER
The View rapping? Oh yes, this mid-tempo rocker will soon have the fans in the mosh pit going wild.

4: UNEXPECTED
A brooding cello and gorgeous strings, this sweet ballad is definitely unexpected.

5: TEMPTATION DICE
Kicks off with a rendition of Happy Birthday before the band kick into classic raw View. They do The Libertines better than they did.

6: GLASS SMASH
Another change of direction as The View go new wave and sound like they've just stepped out of the Eighties, complete with Bono mullets.

7: DISTANT DOUBLOON
The View turn ringmasters in this gypsy circus epic complete with lush orchestration. Potential James Bond theme anyone?

8: JIMMY'S CRAZY CONSPIRACY
With seven outstanding songs, this feels like a step back into the ramshackle View of the first album, although there's a nice Beatles bit of brass.

9: COVERS
An incredible coup with guest vocalist Paolo Nutini duetting with Kyle. Kyle had claimed earlier this year that they kidnapped the Paisley boy - just as well they did. Stunning.

10: DOUBLE YELLOW LINES
Another cracking tune which sounds like The View but bigger and bolder. A top post-party tune with lyrics: "Yellow lines by the side of the road/take me home tonight".

11: SHOCK HORROR
This will be released on the same day as the album, February 2 on 7" and download. It's another slice of old-skool View raucous.

12: REALISATION
With its pipe it starts off sounding like a medieval folk ditty but the booming bass and call and repeat shouts as the lyrics go: "world domination makes you feel so small" make it of the now.

13: GIVE BACK THE SUN
Getting to the end of the album now, this is nice mid-tempo rock number but doesn't bring anything to the party.

14: GEM OF A BIRD
And so the band go off into the night with this lovely slow acoustic ballad.

By Rick Fulton, Daily Record, 12th December 2008

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