We are suckers for Scottish indie rock, so getting our hands on the sophomore album from Admiral Fallow was a must. Front man, Louis Abbott and crew deliver an album that sounds as if it lives between the skyward aim of Snow Patrol and the emotional urgency of Frightened Rabbit. The album comes so close to delivering towering epics so frequently you are left with the sonic equivalent of blue balls on tracks like the fantastic drizzled piano, thumping beat, and loosely strummed guitar culminating in "The Way You Were Raised". The track seems to let off the gas just as you expect them to erupt for a cathartic anthem that never shows. Abbot surely sounds up to the task, with vocals waking to a growl near the middle, but the band seems more intent to tame the emotional tune than let it off the leash. The way the album tows the line between orchestral grace and raw acoustic fervor leaves you wishing they picked a lane.
The good news is that aside from the foggy production, you are left with the impression that tracks like the wistful clutter of "Burn" will sound fantastic live if they strip away some of the fluttering strings to give Abbott's heartfelt vocals space, as he begs, "Burn me now like an ant with a magnifying glass / Leave me charred and let the wind blow away the ash". The songwriting and melody of tracks like breezy ballad "Old Fools" are overpowered by the string-laced haze, with the band sounding much better when delivering cleaner acoustic rock fare like strummy "Guest Of The Government". The consistently great songwriting and some great harmonies between Abbott and Sarah Hayes on "Beetle In The Box" and sparkling duet "Tree Bursts" make just how close this decent album comes to greatness all the more frustrating.
Seek - "The Paper Trench", "Guest Of The Government", "Tree Bursts"
For fans of - Snow Patrol
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