For those new to Butcher
Boy, they are a seven strong
Glaswegian collective who make slightly twee, string laden indie-pop,
shaded with sadness, about the pains of growing up and the
awkwardness of relationships - all inspired by the city they live in.
Remind you of anyone? It's
all too easy to dismiss Butcher Boy as Belle & Sebastian
copyists. It's also doing them a massive diservice as their third
album,'Helping Hands', includes songwriting of the calibre that
Stuart Murdoch (himself a fan apparently) has struggled to maintain
on recent albums.
Instrumental
opener 'J Is For Jamie' hints at the maudlin side of nu-folk with its
swathes of cello, before giving way to the gorgeous 'The Day Our
Voices Broke', a wonderful example of John Blain Hunt's complex and
touching lyrics. The arrangements of the twelve tracks is nothing
short of sublime, complimenting the soft melodies rather than
overpowering them. The only downside is that a couple of songs are a
little too flimsy for their own good, suggesting that if they'd stuck
to just ten we could be looking at one of the albums of the
year.
It's
when the tempo is kept high that the music really comes alive. Recent
single 'Imperial' adds a drum machine to the organic textures and the
result is a real treat. 'Parliament Hill' and 'Russian Dolls' see the
band sounding darker, adding more depth to the album, whereas the
country-tinged 'I Am The Butcher' adds variety without seeming out of
place. Overall, 'Helping Hands' is a triumph, but with a little more
meat on their bones, Butcher Boy could be sensational.
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