Category Archives: Tango In The Attic

Album Review: Tango in the Attic

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Tango In The Attic: ‘Sellotape’ (Domicile Crocodiles/Believe Digital)

Last night, I put on Tango In The Attic’s first record, Bank Place Locomotive Society. It is still a warm, wonderful album, with hints of Paul Simon’s Graceland and Vampire Weekend, topped off with a scottish accent. Now that’s not what people generally call World Music, but it is still an accomplished debut album.

And it makes it all the more frustrating, because I sat down to give this, their sophomore album another listen this morning to write the review. Now, second albums are notoriously difficult things. But it can be deeply frustrating when a band seems to be on the move to try and develop their sound, and you feel that their second album catches the transition in a way that’s not what you hope for.

In small chunks there are some good tracks here, particularly the recent freee download ‘Mona Lisa Overdrive.’ But as an overall album, it feels like it is both searching for an identity, and producing something that is falling between two stools. Put bluntly, it can’t seem to work out if it wants to be Vampire Weekend or Arctic Monkeys, and ends up producing something that is a mixture between the two. And that’s like the aural equivalent of chocolate and salmon mousse. and a messy chocolate and salmon mousse at that.

I still rate that first album. But I’m really not sure that I’m going to be going back to this again anytime soon.

**

Sellotape is released on Domicile Crocodiles/Believe Digital on May 28.

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Three very different but excellent bands I’ve been getting messages from in the last twenty four hours…

First of all, the French Wives…

french-wives

An intriguing email in the overcrowded inbox from the French Wives yesterday with this press release:

” As of Monday 15th November, French Wives will be commencing a series of give aways.

Each Monday, for the foreseeable future we will be offering friends, fans and foes the opportunity to download one of the many French Wives recordings that we have accrued over the last 2 years for nowt. It occurred to us that between old songs, new songs, live songs or acoustic songs there is quite a collection that we’re sitting on and we’d like people to have it. Some are good, some are probably bad in hindsight but regardless, we’d like you to have them.

Each free download is going to be accompanied with a blog post on this here myspace with some information about the recording and weekly video content.

We realised that perhaps there are a lot of people who have just seen or heard of us recently and thought this would be a nice way of letting you hear other songs that would be new to you and if you’ve been sailing on the good ship French Wives since day one, think of it as a nice little reward for your loyalty/toil.

So…….

Every Monday swing by www.myspace.com/thefrenchwives to pick up a free download, some insight and what I’m sure will be a HILARIOUS (probably not), unique (probably not) video…..

This series will be called The Home Fires…..

Keep them burning…..

French Wives….

If you haven’t heard them yet, check this out:

Next up: eagleowl will be supporting Broken Records on the scottish leg of their tour as well as doing some special shows of their own:

” We’re joining Broken Records for the Scottish leg of their UK tour – playing Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen this weekend. Friend, band mate and all round good egg Rob St John will also be playing a solo set to open. If you live in any these cities, it’d be very nice to see you.

Then we’ve three (3) more great shows in Edinburgh before the year’s out, each more exciting than the last – opening for Daniel, Fred & Julie (a new project featuring Julie Doiron. Swoon.), the Leith Tape Club Xmas special (on a boat!), and our own special Xmas show at Pilrig St Paul’s Church.

Our Xmas show is a ‘Stars in their Eyes’ special – where we will be dressing up and performing a set as one of our favorite bands. As will some other top Edinburgh acts. It’s going to be the best fun ever. You should probably come.

Then we’ll be hibernating for the rest of the winter.

Thanks for your time.
You complete me.

Bart
x

Find out more about those gigs here

Check out their Into the Fold EP, it’s amazing:

Then Tango in the Attic have a new single out next month called ‘Sketch by Quentin Blake.’

Stream it here:

Tango in the Attic – Sketch By Quentin Blake (single) by abadgeoffriendship

Album Review: Tango In The Attic

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Tango In The Attic -‘Bank Place Locomotive Society.’ (Self-released)

Glenrothes five-piece have been around for a while now, and have released some really good singles over the course of the last year or so. Still unisgned, they have now unleashed their debut album, Bank Place Locomotive Society. A few listens in -and my initial thought still remains: They sound like a Scottish Vampire Weekend.

Now, that’s not meant as a criticism; I’ve really enjoyed both VW albums. I’m not the only person to have made that comparison either. There’s also a hint of Dogs Die In Hot Cars, particularly the Ska-infused XTC blueprint that they used to make their debut (and so far only released album). As to whether the band have well-played copies of Graceland and The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto…who knows? Certainly the opener ‘One Step Away’ does make you think you could be listening to one of them.

The tracks that have seen the light of day so far as singles ‘Jackanory’ ‘Blunderground’ and ‘Seven Second Stare’ are probably the strongest here, though I’d also nominate ‘Sketch by Quention Blake’ and ‘Off To.’ None of the tracks here are weak, and it’s a promising debut, with some great tunes -and I’ll doubtless be playing some of this on my radio show. What I’d like to see from their next album is them developing their own sound a little further, and wearing their influences on their sleeves a little less!

***1/2

Bank Place Locomotive Society is out now.

Tango In The Attic -‘Off To.’ mp3

Tango In The Attic’s myspace