STYLE: Blues RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 150938-22001 LABEL: Independent FORMAT: Digital Only EP RELEASE DATE: 2014-04-14
Reviewed by A T Bradford
Regular Cross Rhythms readers will recognise Lins' name as a prolific journalist and reviewer. This six-track EP shows another dimension to his talents as a Perthshire-based musician who draws on black American blues and Americana for his musical influences. The album title references a Scottish radio station where he performed these songs. The opener, "Serial Complainer" is an amusing self-penned song ("He complains about the snow/And if it rains too much he'll write and let somebody know"), the song ending with a salutary warning against self-righteous singers. In a similar humourous vein is "All The Girls Are Orange Today" which laments the use of fake tan products and "Charles Atlas Where Are You Now?" (a late '60s-'70s body-builder who widely promoted male physique development); both sung to some frenetic guitar work. "O Mary Don't You Weep" is based more on the Bruce Springsteen version than the many black gospel renditions and works very well. ("Moses stood on Pharaoh's shore/Smote that water with a two by four/Pharaoh's army got drown-ded/O Mary don't you weep")
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