I spent the first five years of the millennium living in the west end of Glasgow. While I missed the traditional pub - not something you'll find north of the border - I was compensated by one of the most vibrant live music scenes, with some fantastic venues and some of the most deranged audiences I've ever witnessed. My local Sainsbury's was on Crow Road. So seeing this band's name takes me back rather, and so does hearing their music.
This Glaswegian trio's debut is- like many of the current crop of Scottish bands who are making names for themselves - unashamedly Scottish, the vocals perhaps not as impenetrable in their accent as those of The Twilight Sad's James Graham or as OTT as the old-school tartan trailblazers, The Proclaimers, but still marked by a roll and burr. Speaking of the Sad, I can't help but notice that the refrain, which is the song's title, is delivered with almost the same melody as the line 'But this is where your arm can't go,' which appears in 'Cold Days from the Birdhouse.' I'm not suggesting it's pilfered, I'm just in the habit of playing compare and contrast with songs in this way.
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Musically, the track begins with simple acoustic instrumentation, then swings into life with electric guitar and drums further in, and when it does there are elements of Big Country in the melody. Don't think for a second that Crow Road are simply an amalgamation of all the cliches of Scottish bands past and present, though: they play with heart, and the songwriting is accomplished in its simplicity. 'Beetroot' is bouncy good-time indie rock 'n' roll, and while it's unlikely to get me shaking my stuff, I can see why their live shows have seen them going down well.
http://www.myspace.com/crowroadmusic
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