One day when I'm old and grey and look back fondly on being so privileged to have been a witness to the almighty rise of the Dundee music scene in the first decade of the new millennium, one of my overriding memories will be of Page 6, a band who, the fist time I heard them, didn't really like them, then, more by accident than design I got to see them again and found something in their music that was actually quite captivating. I saw them live a couple more times as 3rd or 4th on the bill and found, for a band playing a brand of music that I never really liked, they'd got that certain spark there, but somehow it just never came to fruition.
Then came that fateful evening at Dundee's Doghouse - I was primarily there to see another band or two, but Page 6 were on for ther first time after a spell away, complete with new drummer and a few new songs - when it all fell into place - a phoenix rose from the ashes and I was there to witness it. Since then the journey has been onwards and upwards - even more amazing as their style is far removed from anything else the Dundee Scene has become famous for playing.
All leading to this moment - the debut album!!
I would have expected to say something along the lines of "the most astounding part about this album is....." and then something favourable, but you know something? - everything about this album is astounding - in the best way possible. The production sounds like it's been financed by a multi-million dollar major, the performance reflects everything that makes Page 6 such an exciting band in concert and the songs and arrangements are of a quality that sustain an entire eleven song album, not only without getting bored for one second on the journey, but of such a quality that the album is going to be occupying a place on your player for years to come without ever sounding dated.
Their secret lies in that they've effectively re-invented funk-rock with a solid indie twist and yet a sense of commerciality that makes them totally original, totally infectious and utterly enjoyable.
They sensibly open with long-standing stage favourite and immediate winner "Dancing Boy", and right from the start, the effect is jaw-dropping. The trademark tightness is there by the truckload, while the instrumental clarity is jaw-dropping. Graham Laws' funk bass roars right through you, while Grant Sinclair's drumming rolls forward sounding crisp and crunchy, as the guitar work from Marc Campbell weaves in and out of the proceedings between rhythmic expansion, jangling leads and chiming riffing. Above all this, vocalist Ryan Russell turns in a performance of the song that not only provides the power and energy of the live performance but is sung so well, with such conviction, emotion and strength, that you put the whole thing together and not only do you have a song of solid driving quality, but one that is so insistent it sets you up completely for what is to follow - and what follows is wonderful!
Second in and we're on "What's Wrong With Us", a song that has two sides - its funky strident section with an energy that really flows as the band and vocalist soar to the heights, and the slower twist that is the song's essential hook, unusually the slower part, but arranged to make perfect sense of what it is and the dynamic surge that follows. In anyone else's hands this would sound stilted and uneasy - in the hands of Page 6 it flows, is memorable and as an album track, works a treat.
"Lucky Bird" is another example of a track where the funky indie side of the band rocks perfectly but this time it's mixed with a more commercial sense of doing things as it possesses a hook that's so insistent on both a playing and a singing level, as the band drive forward while Ryan relates a lyric that tells the tale in a way that's both anthemic and full of passion, the song striding ahead to its hook, as the band play this choppy rhythm and chiming guitar lead, over which Ryan's impassioned performance sounds so strong and yet, as with the whole album, sung to perfection.
"Lovers But Don't Know It Yet" sparks into life with a fast-paced cyclical guitar lead as the rhythm section lurches along and the vocals complete the picture with an equally rolling quality that top things off as the energetic song drives ahead and another set of lyrical dexterity keeps you hooked, the vocals once again full of emotion and strength, but sung to perfection. Once again, the band are unafraid to take the song through twisting avenues of arrangement but done so well as never to lose the core flow of the track.
"Antics" is another long-standing stage fave, and while this is a solid slice of driving commercial funk, it's a song with a fantastic sense of humour and actually has certain similarities to citymates The View, in a bizarre kind of way, and certainly is the one here with "hit single" written all over it. Performed for fun, effect and yet still seriously played and sung, this is short and snappy, the Page 6 way of pop and so repeat playable, it's almost criminal.
"What's The Point?" is more flowing than funky, although it does stride ahead in certain places, mixing a more rflective quality where acoustic guitars, lilting bass, and choppy drums, stand head and shoulders next to impassioned vocals and driving beats, as both sections of the song are arranged to sound so organic and complete. That this then leads into the driving yearning of "Simple Things, where Marc's guitar work really takes an upfront role, as the driving rhythms and some sublime harmony vocals add extra depths to a solid slice of indie rock with a flowing funky feeling running through it. That the song has as many hooks as it has rhythmic twists and that it works as a complete slice of songwriting strength and singing, is a testament to the excellent writing and arranging talents of this band.
"7 Years" veritably roars into life where the vocals are concerned as Ryan really lets loose and the band take a series of meanders through a song that soars and dives with some neat higher register guitar leads and chiming chords as the rhythm section keep it tight and powerful while the vocals let go and deliver the main body of the song with force and emotion. That this song goes through more changes than most on here and yet emerges as a seamless slice of quality indie-funk, is yet again, another eye-opener.
"Why Would You Fancy A Drunk Man" is the live track that most bands would do on album and sound really watered down in comparison to the live rendition - but not Page 6, not by a long chalk. With a wicked slice of solid funk bass dripping its resonant chording all over the foundations of the song and the lead guitar doing runs and series of choppy chords an leads, the drums drive it all forward while Ryan gives the song a spark that erupts it into life so much so that you could close your eyes and imagine the band were right there in front of you. The song twists and turns but ultimately climbs to its complete commercial peak, before ending abruptly and it's immediately into traditional set closer "Walters Ego", a track, even more so than the previou one, that you might expect to sound not as tight and heavy as they do it live. But once again the band pull the irons out of the fire and here the bass work is the blood that flows throgh the song's veins, solid, tight, funky and powerful, providing runs that can't fail to have you out of your seat and dancing. The guitar and drum work provide the extra teeth to an arrangement that is the epitome of Page 6's re-invention of funk as a force to be reckoned with and turned up loud, this is one screamer of a number, Ryan's vocal really rising to great impassioned heights, and a pure stunner of a performance.
You might think that this would be the perfect end to the album, but, with the adrenaline flowing, theband decide to take you down a notch and end with a gorgeous song where acoustic guitar and almost languid, solo and harmony, vocals provide a ballad that is both delicate, flowing and exquisite - the perefect end as, once you've dropped down, the overriding feeling you're left with is wanting to hear that opening track once more and experience the entire album again.
I'm not going to go into a long rapturous end section here - I don't need to - the above alone should be all you need to tell you that this album doesn't just raise the stakes for bands recording on the Dundee Scene -it smashes them into smithereens. In simple terms, a triumph of an album and one that can be enjoyed by fans from 6 to 60 as the songs have it all.