The View, on tour

For a band whose early songs were scornful of scenesterism, the View have not been averse to some rock'n'roll behaviour. Drug busts, tour cancellations, barneys with fans: the last couple of years have been more notorious than one might expect for a group who hit big with a song about having dirty trousers. The View's story is not, happily, some kind of homily on the dangers of getting too much too soon, something confirmed by their new album, Which Bitch?, which shows that their best qualities, their yobbish choruses and singer Kyle Falconer's good eye for detail are still present. Some of the hallmarks of "maturity" - pianos, a more expansive production and the like - are there, but the View are surging bravely into their early 20s with their original vigour very much intact.

By John Robinson, The Guardian, 7th February 2009