A Scottish-folk

I have been listening to King Creosote's newest release Thrawn for the past few days now and have enjoyed it for the most part. But there was something about it that rubbed me in a weird way. I couldn't figure out what was making me uncomfortable to the point that I couldn't fully enjoy the album. Something about it seemed very ethnic. It was only until I started writing that I realized they're a Scottish group... sooo Scottish. The influence of their heritage is put to good use, adding a really nice touch to the underlying folky-feel. At the same time, however, their sound is not strictly Scottish-folk. They've definitely streamlined, but not too much. I don't know much about Scottish music besides the fact that it's typically festive or that it involves some beautiful, natural-redhead singing in the middle of a meadow with butterflies flapping around. King Creosote definitely satisfies those two stereotypes, but not in stereotypical fashion. Thrawn is marked by audibly strummed acoustic guitars to give it that neat folky feel, light drums and tambourines, a typical Scottish flare, and lyrics conveying tales about home. As a result, we're treated to a really good album.

Have a listen to some of the tracks on their MySpace. Verdict: 3.8/5. Favorite songs: You've No Clue Do You, King Bubbles In Sand, Little Heart, My Favourite Girl, And The Racket They Made, and No One Had It Better.

Also, happy pi day! I'm about to get my key lime on.

Best, Jonathan