Sons & Daughters - This Gift
Since first base emerging in 2004, Glasgow's Sons & Daughters have steady developed from a sleazy minimalist blues-rock act to an in all more enthralling musical theater proposition, shading hints of Motor City and Pop into their unpolished garage rock mix.
'This Gift', their one-third and most accessible album, initially begins where its murky predecessor, 'The Repulsion Box', left forth.
Opener 'Gilt Complex' is all dark, sleazy and abrasive pop clap out by a feisty vocal from Adele Bethel, ahead things begin to steadily shift.
'Split Lips' brings with it a slice of indie pop that sees close to light thrown upon Sons & Daughters differently gloomy corners - the menacing lyrics contrasting easily with the light melodic shades.
Likewise, 'The Nest' sees the band run with color as Detroit begins to swing around the back corners without compromising the group's much intense and ferocious sharp-shock auditory sensation.
'Darling' meantime bares a distinct 1960s belt down influence, echoing The Libertines in parts as George C. Scott Paterson's guitar sounds bounce off Bethel's simpleton, swirling melodies.
Much of the light to their trademark darkness doubtlessly stemmed from the enlisting of Claude Bernard Samuel Butler (Suede, McAlmont & Samuel Butler) on production duties. A Sixties obsessive, as a producer Butler is completely about big, sweeping anthemic sounds, though here he's forcefully held back at multiplication.
With stories of much studio apartment contestation betwixt banding and manufacturer, the record often sounds in parts like it wants to burst consume one musical boulevard merely is prevented from doing so by a four-piece trying to stay rooted to their blue jean and leather roots. It's this clash of musical worlds which is unity of the main factors in 'This Gift' sounding so good in parts.
Samuel Butler is toned fine-tune to about 30%, which is enough to refresh up Sons & Daughters ofttimes one-dimensional speech sound of the past without losing any sting. On 'Iodine' they sound not unlike The Heal mashhad with The La's, piece The Libertines and Blondie creep into 'The Bell'.
In altogether, 'This Gift' is a brighter, more melodic album than previous records, and totally the better for it.
Steve
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