THE IMAGINEERS - See As I Say CD EP
In the seventies, if this band had been English, they'd have been Jack The Lad, the offshoot of Lindisfarne who made their Geordie location into a song-based artform, heavily accented and with the emphasis on catchy songs. Forward about 30 odd years, and here in Scotland you have this band who've turned in one insanely catchy set of what can only be described as “contemporary indie folk-rock” songs. Again, with the accent to the fore from a truly distinctive vocalist, you have 4 tracks that will have you bouncing around the place with reckless abandon. The opener, “Imagineer”, stomps its feet as the crisp guitar rings out and that vocal delivers this almost trad-style slice of commercial folk-rock with a chorus that sticks in your head like your brain was glued inside by the thing, so catchy you're singing along before the guy's even finished what he's singing. With multi-tracked backing vocals for added depth, an almost restrained Smiths-esque quality to the guitar work, and unafraid to take the song through the occasional twist and turn, the end result is something that, while undoubtedly a slab of commercial folk-rock, is, nevertheless something that keeps your attention every time you hear it. “Mariana” continues the spirit in an accelerated manner, this time with an almost Mediterranean feel to the delivery as you're tempted to shout “riba riba” at the top of your voice as the song stomps along and that hook-as-chorus worms its way into your brain.
“Hour Of Need” starts almost theatrically as the song rolls along, the lyrics both bizarre and engaging, as the song accelerates and decelerates, again its chorus infused with spirit, its verses with a stop-start sense of rhythm, that Latino feel and the thwak of guitar chords as it all floats up and down with solid intent and commercial flight, the vocals still the fulcrum around which it all revolves, the bass here more upfront and the song lurching forward on a sea of accented deliciousness. Finally, “Spanish Sands” slows things down for a flowing finale, the title giving the clue to the atmosphere of the piece, as the almost drawled lead vocal wakes up and delivers a languid ballad, only for the band to lurch into life, more guitar work singing out as the rhythm section bounce and lurch, the song itself undergoing that slow slow quick quick slow style of arrangement that the band does so well, the chorus once again, a thing of both beauty and strength, depth and drive.
Overall, it's folky, it's indie and it's delightfully catchy – when you want decidedly commercial and roots-based writing and singing, mixed with serious intent, this is where it's at.