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Del Amitri

Early on in their life, Scottish rocksters Del Amitri supported The Smiths. It's hard to believe that fact, given what Del Amitri would later become. Even harder to believe what they became upon a casual listen to this charming little album here. Jingle jangle guitars, a singer with a croon that vaguely resembles Morrissey... only vaguely, but its there. You can see upon listening to this album that it would indeed make sense for Del Amitri to support The Smiths, unthinkable in Del Amitri's later incarnation. Still, opening 'Heard Through A Wall' is pure jingle jangle pop guitar music - with added harmonies! It'll help you work, rest and play, and that's a promise! A sparkling pop song of the kind I didn't even begin to imagine this particular band were even capable of before I got my hands on this album right here. 'Hammering Heart' is in the same mode and also features groovy melodic bass guitar, always a great thing for any pop song to have. And! The singer shows off a great falsetto vocal that anybody would surely be proud to be able to show off. 'Former Owner' is a heartfelt ballad, 'Sticks And Stones Girl' a jangly potential pop/rock song hit, bar a lack of a chorus as such.

All the songs here have something, although none of them have any genius, which sets them apart from the likes of The Smiths, for one. The lyrics are worthy rather than great, the playing standard jangly indie guitar of the time, even though the sound is rather too polished despite cheap production.... to actually BE indie. 'Crows In The Wheatfield' fades in rather attractively, bass pops up once more and fast, urgent cheap jangly guitars. Very good stuff! 'Keepers' and 'Ceasefire' do exactly the same, and suddenly you wonder whether Del Amitri just wrote to formula..... did they feel and believe this stuff? Their later style would suggest they didn't.... The closing 'Breaking Bread' repeats an attractive jaunty jangling guitar sound, but isn't much of a song. There is nothing actually there. Style over substance? Quite possibly, quite possibly that could be said for the album as a whole, but. It's a fine, great style. A charming record.

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