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Since the long ago strains of "Throw The R Away" I,
and several of my closest friends, have been fans of the Proclaimers.
Then they catapulted into the limelight with the inclusion of
"(I'm gonna be) 500 Miles" on the Benny And Joon
soundtrack, and the whole world seemed to be catching notice of
this amazing duo's work. But then subsequent releases failed to
catch the attention of the listening public, and quite a few releases
there have been. Each and every release since the first has been
solid, rocking folk music, witty and immediate in its message.
On Born Innocent, the Reid brothers' trademark
vocal harmonies drive each song, just as in days of old. The music
is ably produced by Edwyn Collins, and seems to capture
the vibe of a Proclaimers' live show - full of frenetic energy
and epileptic thrashing about. Still mainly focused on the basic
songs, an acoustic guitar and vocal arrangement, this record fills
out nicely with an amazing band that pushes the songs just that
tiny bit further. There is not the sense of disappointment the
zealous fans felt when Bob Dylan went electric; rather
there is an overall sense of completeness to the sound of this
record. Like a band that has come into its own, filling out songs
as necessary, but never overdoing it.
"Born Innocent" begins the album in pure rock'n'roll
fashion, putting down a strong beat and up tempo energy that continues
throughout a good bit of the record. "Unguarded Moments"
slows down for a reflective piece, laced heavily with whirling
Wurlitzer organ and Van Morrison style vocalizations. Never
one to pass up the love/hate ideal in their songs, the Proclaimers
continue to churn out angstful love poetry like "Hate My
Love". "I like the smell of petrol/ I love the taste
of booze/ But I hate my love for you/ I like Johnny Cash/
Singing A Boy Named Sue/ But I hate my love for you…"
Never a dull moment, Born Innocent continues, in true
Proclaimers fashion, to hypnotize the ear… at times lulling
the listener into submission, and other times working them into
a frenzy of emotion. And all with those delightful Scottish accents.
Keep it up, me boyos.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Born Innocent
2. Should Have Been Loved
3. Blood On Your Hands
4. Unguarded Moments
5. Hate My Love
6. Redeemed
7. You Meant It Then
8. Five O'clock World
9. He's Just Like Me
10. Role Model
11. No Witness
12. Dear Deidre
13. There's No Doubt
14. Unguarded Moments (live)
15. Born Innocent (live)
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