What would happen if you threw a Prophet 08 synthesizer, stringy vocals, and four pounds of haggis into a blender and set it to puree? You'd make a god-awful mess, that's what. But you'd also come up with something that would vaguely resemble Scottish punksters the Magnificents--four alt-rock veterans out of the Edinburgh underground. They're back with their third studio release, Year of Explorers, and their new-age-revival sound and classic-punk lyricism is, once again, along for the ride.
To those unfamiliar with the Magnificents, listening through a few tracks may prompt thoughts like, "How would I look in a kilt...?" and, "Will the next song feature bagpipe accompaniment?" Though, if you're reading this review at the same time, you're more likely thinking, "What the hell is this guy getting at?" or, "How many more cheap Scotland wisecracks must I suffer through?" To your first question, the Magnificents aren't shy about sounding very, very Scottish, and their sound thrives because of it. To your second question, three.
Absurdity of the Scottish culture aside, Year of Explorers represents the Magnificents' best effort to date, building upon an already solid history of releasing praise-worthy work. The band's typical thrashy, synth-heavy, underground sound is now coupled with a newfound songwriting maturity and affinity for writing catchy melodies. The album's third track, "Get it Boy," is specifically exemplar of this catchiness, and will doubtlessly convince you to sing along, bang your head, and drop your word endings.
"Get it Boy" is the highlight of the record, but Year of Explorers comes loaded with at least six or seven legitimately memorable songs. There are only two real low-points on the album. One: the sixth track, "......," which would be categorized as an instrumental by only the most generous of descriptions, and is most likely the sound of small, lost animal walking across the keys of a synthesizer. Two: that a post-punk revival remake of "Danny Boy" is not included on the album. Please ignore the fact that "Danny Boy" is an Irish song.
So where does Year of Explorers stand, all things considered? Somewhere between 'pretty decent' and 'damn good.' Is it worth enduring an impromptu vasectomy at the hands of a group of British soldiers? Probably not. Is it worth picking up and listening through a few times? Definitely. - 30Music |
