I’ve long admired Butcher Boy on this blog, and their latest album Helping Hands is an excellent album.
My friend Jim, over at The Vinyl Villain, is dipping his toes into the murky world of promoting, and the band he has chosen to headline his first gig is Butcher Boy, with support from Adam Stafford, once of Y’All Is Fantasy Island.
Alas, I’ll be at another gig that night, but go along and support Jim and Butcher Boy!
Butcher Boy -‘Helping Hands’ (Damaged Goods)
Guess who’s back? Back again? Butcher Boy’s back, tell your friends…sorry,doesn’t quite scan, does it? Anyway, that’s irrelevant, because Butcher Boy are back with their third album and it’s great, so do go and tell your friends.
Reviewing Butcher Boy’s Eighteenth Emergency EP svereal years ago for Is This Music? I wrote that ‘the title track alone could make a hardened Glasgow ned cry into his Buckie as he waits for the last bus back from Sauchiehall Street. Even with his mates.’ And the thing is, the quality of music and songwriting remains just as high. It’s a mark of how good this album is that even the brief instrumental interludes on this album are brilliant, lovely and don’t feel like filler.
In 2011, it still appears that Belle & Sebastian are the Kings and Queens of Glasgow. With this set, containing as it does such fine songs as ‘Whistle and I’ll Come To You,’ ‘Parliament Hill’ and the single ‘Imperial’, Butcher Boy are seriously challenging for that title. Only the hardest of hearts could fail to fall for JOhn Blain Hunt’s poetic songs and awesome voice. THe album is also brilliantly scored.
If this album does not finally deliver them into the mainstream success that they have deserved since their first record, then that will be a travesty.
****1/2
Helping Hands will be released on August 29.
Hi there…
as usual, have been running around the like the proverbial headless chicken. But the soon to be Mrs. 17 Seconds and I have now chosen our wedding rings, and i am continuing to get better. Hooray.
As always, there are folks out there who are much more frequent contributors to the world of blogging. matthew over at Song, By Toad has flattered me by posting an Aberfeldy song in my honour (click here), as well as his own review of the Camera Obscura gig from last week, with some great Camera Obscura tracks. Click here
Meanwhile, in my attempt to try and bring the attention of more excellent scottish muisc to the world at large, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Butcher Boy! A seven piece from Glasgow, they should appeal to people who like the likes of Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura and Aberfeldy (loath as I am to lump these bands together, but they are more immediate references than, say, Metallica or Public Enemy). They write fantastic songs – and I’ve been anxious to hear morre ever since I heard a track called Arbor Day last year, whihc features on the recent single ‘Girls Make Me Sick.’ (funny, when I heard the title I was expecting to hear something in the vein of ‘Touch me I’m Sick’ by Mudhoney. Needless to say, it’s nothing like that).
Their MySpace is here and their website is here.
If you like what you hear, both their aforementioned single and the album are available on iTunes, and the album is available from amazon. Even better, you could support your local independent music store. i’d love to know what you think though…