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Review: 'PROUDFOOT'
'Flower Of London'   

-  Label: 'Reckless Cat'
-  Genre: 'Alt/Country' -  Release Date: '16th September 2016'-  Catalogue No: 'CD103'

Our Rating:
On seeing the title for Proudfoot's second album I imagined it was going to be some bagpipe-strewn love letter to London, but thankfully I was way off beam with that idea.

The opener Pathfinders sounds much more like The Plastic Pals or Lars Cleveman than anything else. It really has a Swedish feel to it even if no Swedes were harmed making it. Flower Of London is almost Belle & Sebastian-like folk-rock; a little bit whimsical but not overly so. The sort of song that grows on you over time.

Seven Ages sounds a bit Anti-folk with the guitars seemingly downbeat at the same time as the vocals sound upbeat. Even if they aren't necessarily so, the vocals do sound quite detached from the guitars and yet it works really well. Queen Of Bohemia, meanwhile, adds a gently skanking backbeat to the mix and the story of the relationship at the centre of the Queen Of Bohemia. I love the echo on the drums which really makes this song.

Come on, Come On has nothing to do with leading gangs but is about life's journey over a slightly wonky country-indie kind of backing. It's decent but in places sounds a bit lost. Wolf is far darker and slower like a backing to a western plains style story full of mystery and hints of danger. Very filmic and cool.

Vivienne is a slow and laid back love song for the girl of his dreams. I'm guessing it has some really nice sax to help the seductive sound. Superstar, though, stayed very much in the background for me and seemed to just fly by.

Hurt In their Hearts is a nice bitter little tale of heartbreak and has some great keyboards underneath the song that really brings the emotion out. Down the Line has some cool brushwork on the drums and vocals which go all grizzled and almost Leonard Cohen on us. A bit lighter than Len all told, but with plenty going on to make you go back and listen to it a few times to hear everything that's going on.

Victim of Your Past is not as monumental as Victim Of The Dance but it does pose a good few questions and get good and rueful with the sax coming in at just the right moments to accentuate the singer's emotional pain.

They almost save the best for last. Lorraine is a cool breezy soul pop song with lots of smart brass and a jaunty pace that makes it easily the most accessible song on the album. I love the keyboard swirls too: a great way to leave the listener wanting more.

Find out more at Proudfoot Facebook page
  author: simonovitch

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PROUDFOOT - Flower Of London