Things get off to a rousing start with “Outlaws”, which gallops into view on a bed of shuffling drums, twangy guitars, deep bass and angry vocals, a sort of mix of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Jason & The Scorchers and The Clash. A searing guitar break bursts into the middle of the song before the guitars drop out, and a sinister vocal rides over lone drums and bass. Then the whole thing erupts in a blaze of guitars and drives to the end – a false end, as the band then surge ahead and climb higher to the real end – a perfect way to start an album. “If You Want A Lover” starts as a slice of acoustic Americana delivered with a Scottish accent, and as the jaunty song saunters along, it's twangy vocal is joined by bursts of distant electrifying lead guitar and sudden rushes of rhythm guitar, as the vocals are joined by harmony vocal for added depth. A sprightly guitar break adds to the effect as the song itself veers from verses to chorus with ease and simply carries you alongside. “You Do Your Thing” is a driving love song with observational lyrics on the difficulties of a relationship as the band surge ahead with an intensity of vocal, a rush of guitars, stuttering rhythms, angst-ridden vocals and more great twangy and on-fire lead guitar simplicity. It's another great song that's just so addictive, short and to the point, and it's very much contemporary Scottish indie with touches of sixties rock 'n' roll, seventies “pub rock” and eighties “Americana”, all wrapped up with a punk attitude and a bang up to date sound.
“Going Under” is another gem, this time a dynamically arranged mix of the driving pub-rock with more mid-paced, but no less strong verses where the multi-tracked vocals on the harmonies add real depth to the piece. The standard of songwriting on the album is absolutely superb, the singing to perfection as a lead vocalist gives 100% emotive performance with a voice that mixes anger, feeling, passion and power throughout the album. Lyrically hypnotic, well written and an almost completely addictive quality running through their veins. “The Standoff” is one that builds, starting with twangy restrained guitar, distant organ and upfront emotive vocals, before the rhythm section and rhythm guitar kick in and drive forward, with crashing lead guitar bursts all around as the vocals intone the yearning passion of the lyric, a hook to the song refusing to let go, as the song relates its impassioned point of view, constantly intensifying and powering ahead, as the harmonies build, the band climbs ever higher, another incendiary lead guitar break lights it all to perfection and the song drives forward with an extended mid section of gloriously dense guitars, to an instrumental finale that segues right into the next song, “Body”, a slower paced, almost country-rock song, with a gorgeous slide or pedal steel guitar figure running throughout, shuffling rhythms, harmonica moods and easy going, yearning vocals, almost the perfect seventies country rock song brought smack up to date and it's just stunning. “Threads”” introduces itself by way of languid guitar before the band head into a slice of driving folk-rock that's worthy of a cross between The Rainmakers and Richard Thompson, a vocal that mixes force and finesse, sensitivity and strength, delivering a song that twists and turns through dramatic dynamic vocalese and band-driven power as the song passes by and defies you not to turn your head. “Slow Decay” drives headlong in a hail of Beach Boys-esque harmonies, soaring lead vocals, dramatic rhythm section work and a surge of guitars, another impassioned vocal heading the way on a yearning slice of intensity that really gets the adrenaline rising, and once more mixes contemporary indie with spirited Americana and comes out winning. “Dangerous Boy” is taut and intense, almost off the edge as the vocal sounds like the guy's about to “lose it” any second. The band fires up after the sinister start, and flares into action as the driving rhythms are topped with a welter of guitar fire that blazes the trail of solid bass undertow and crunching drum work. The whole song has a flavour to it that leads you to expect complete self-destruction at any minute, but instead it all hangs together and becomes this rolling fireball of a track.
“Send Me On My Way” is immediately a great song, tons of harmonies clickety click percussion before the band hurtle in and this wondrous song just rolls on down the highway with echoes of the best driving Go-Betweens, Jayhawks and similar, only here delivered with a confidence and strength, not to mention a song of absolute top notch quality, that makes it a slice of country-punk-Americana that would be proud to grace anyone's top 5 songs of the moment. Finally, you get “The Gilded Road”, final proof that this album wreaks of pure perfection, as the band deliver a final killer blow with a solid surge of a song that has a raw edge to it as well as its exquisite harmonies and angst-ridden vocals, the rush of fuzz bass, rhythm guitars and dynamic drumming, climbing higher and higher before this immense sounding lead guitar fires up and drives the whole band headlong into the spiralling distance, this immense band-driven rock whirlwind coming to a dramatic and perfect halt.
It's one seriously amazing album from a band that are even better than this, live in concert, but as 11 songs of quality, distinction, memorability, long-lasting enjoyment and top notch writing, arranging, playing, singing and producing, it's a triumph!!