Post by thebeggar on Nov 27, 2008 17:11:55 GMT
This is the review of Mud, Blood and Mercy that I've did for the Calderglen High School newspaper-
The Beggar's Lake
Mud, Blood and Mercy
With Mud, Blood and Mercy, The Beggar’s Lake have delivered an album that is all too rare in the British music scene nowadays. Featuring a melting pot of influences, a high level of musicianship and genuinely interesting subject matters (when was the last time you listened intently to the lyrics of a Kaiser Chiefs song?), The Lake go anywhere from Southern Rock-tinged harkenings of past loves to harrowing tales of a cruel world and its victims. The O’Rourke brothers are a dynamic frontman/lead guitarist duo akin to the classic Jagger/Richards and Plant/Page combinations of the seventies. Dominic’s gruff Mark Lanegan-esque vocals lead the charge as brother Owen effortlessly peels off killer licks and air-guitar worthy solos (the Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple influences are clear as day on the album’s standout guitar solo, Road of Bones). The bass lines and drum beats are solid with just the right amount of groove and Derek Hughes’ versatile piano skills add a whole other dimension to the band. Undoubtedly the album’s best moment, Suzie is a barnstorming tale of a pregnant, heroin-addicted west of Scotland woman who is a victim of domestic abuse. The recurring theme of a God (or lack thereof) is present in the album with The Lake portraying a cynical yet understandable view of the world in Death Rattle (“I’m praying that I wake up”), Saccharine (“I punched a hole in the sky”) and Bukovina (“I have a penance to pay”). Not to get too grim, Dreams of the Dead concludes the album with a humorous “if only I could” story of a man putting a bullet in each of his insufferable acquaintances (landlord, priest, brother and mother, to be precise) and escaping it all to a “little old border town” with his lover. Daily Record writer Rick Fulton described The Beggar’s Lake as “A magical mix of folk, rock, country and Americana that gurn and growl through Scotland’s underbelly” and with their debut, Mud, Blood and Mercy, they have lived up to the hype without breaking a sweat.
The Beggar's Lake
Mud, Blood and Mercy
With Mud, Blood and Mercy, The Beggar’s Lake have delivered an album that is all too rare in the British music scene nowadays. Featuring a melting pot of influences, a high level of musicianship and genuinely interesting subject matters (when was the last time you listened intently to the lyrics of a Kaiser Chiefs song?), The Lake go anywhere from Southern Rock-tinged harkenings of past loves to harrowing tales of a cruel world and its victims. The O’Rourke brothers are a dynamic frontman/lead guitarist duo akin to the classic Jagger/Richards and Plant/Page combinations of the seventies. Dominic’s gruff Mark Lanegan-esque vocals lead the charge as brother Owen effortlessly peels off killer licks and air-guitar worthy solos (the Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple influences are clear as day on the album’s standout guitar solo, Road of Bones). The bass lines and drum beats are solid with just the right amount of groove and Derek Hughes’ versatile piano skills add a whole other dimension to the band. Undoubtedly the album’s best moment, Suzie is a barnstorming tale of a pregnant, heroin-addicted west of Scotland woman who is a victim of domestic abuse. The recurring theme of a God (or lack thereof) is present in the album with The Lake portraying a cynical yet understandable view of the world in Death Rattle (“I’m praying that I wake up”), Saccharine (“I punched a hole in the sky”) and Bukovina (“I have a penance to pay”). Not to get too grim, Dreams of the Dead concludes the album with a humorous “if only I could” story of a man putting a bullet in each of his insufferable acquaintances (landlord, priest, brother and mother, to be precise) and escaping it all to a “little old border town” with his lover. Daily Record writer Rick Fulton described The Beggar’s Lake as “A magical mix of folk, rock, country and Americana that gurn and growl through Scotland’s underbelly” and with their debut, Mud, Blood and Mercy, they have lived up to the hype without breaking a sweat.
