Review Summary: Are The Dykeenies the right band to take Scottish pop music to new heights? Probably not. But they have definitely written some cracking new tunes.
Glasgow's local heroes The Dykeenies suffer from that age-old problem; having scored two number 1 hits in their homeland of Scotland, they still remain virtually unknown throughout the rest of Britain, and almost entirely unknown further afield. It's not for lack of trying, though. The band have taken care to ensure that they appeal to a wider audience - singer Brian Henderson seems to reach for a more universal accent than the more isolated Glaswegian tongue - and have been touring relentlessly throughout the UK to promote their debut album,
Nothing Means Everything. Yet mainstream success has continued to elude them. So, to ask the obvious question, is it the music that's holding them back?
In truth, the album doesn't start brilliantly. With it's jolting rhythms and chanted choruses, the album opener
The Panic is likely set to become a live favourite, but despite the sometimes thrilling instrumentation the song just doesn't pack in enough hooks to lure in the casual listener.
Waiting For Go, the following song, has some similar issues; though it throws some great guitar work and an energetic vocal performance from Henderson into the mix, it fails to offer up anything that could propel the song to being truly great. Two tracks in, the band have yet to fulfil their promise. Are The Dykeenies destined to be heard only by the Scottish faithful?
Well, on the evidence of the album's third track, probably not.
Stitches is where the band really demonstrate what they are capable of; it starts quietly and builds up to a crescendo of guitars, synths and plaintive vocals. The obvious standout is the tribal drumming of John Kerr that drives the group along, but really the whole band are on top-form here. As the song reaches it's climax and Henderson tenderly sings "Make a wish tonight/All the stars are out/It's out of your hands but not out of reach," it's difficult to not feel a shiver run down your spine.
This winning streak carries on into the next song,
Clean Up Your Eyes. It begins sounding like early U2 going new-wave (with lines like "Your skin reminds me of sleeping on clouds in my mind," how could it not recall Bono?), and then explodes into a huge chorus where the band leave behind the Edge-alike guitars for something more of their own. By the time the song reaches the exhilarating outro, full of pounding drums and racing guitar lines, they've stopped wearing their influences quite so brazenly on their sleeves, and with a giddy "Doo-doo doo dah-doo" vocal leading it to its end it's certainly a welcome change. It's the best example of The Dykeenies' brand of new-wave stadium anthems.
It's disappointing that the band don't scale such dizzying heights again, but that's not to say that the rest of the album is a write-off. Though at first listen
Pick You Up seems absurdly synth-heavy, with parping guitars drowning out the more stately keyboard patterns, a closer listen reveals that hiding beneath these distractions are the song's great chorus, some excellent vocals and catchy hooks that reveal themselves with each listen. The next song,
New Ideas, is even better; the handclaps that signal the intro also indicate at a refreshing playfulness that lasts until the very last note. When Henderson begins to chant "I've got a wealth of new ideas!", you can all but see the cheeky grin playing across his face.
Unfortunately, this is also the last time that the band approach their songs with such a great sense of fun.
In & Out, though promising, suffers from the same problems that afflicted the album's opening salvo and never quite reaches up to earlier highlights; and although
Things You Cannot See is a great rocker, with guitars that sound like police sirens and drums that break through the layers of synths, it lacks the true anthemic qualities that the band have effortlessly demonstrated before. Be sure to take the time to appreciate it, though - it is, after all, the last decent song on the album.
The decision to end an album with a spate of synth ballads would be questionable in most cases, but here it seems entirely out of character. Whereas before the band sounded energetic and excitable, they all but fall asleep on these last few songs, and as a result the album gives the impression of suffering a severe comedown.
Symptons boasts an eerily catchy motif, but no real chorus to speak of (or worth speaking of);
Lose Ourselves starts slowly yet never quite builds up to anything even vaguely impressive, despite some heroic singing from Henderson; and
Feels Like Sleep is easily the most aptly-titled song on the album. As they approach the end of the tune, the band seem to awake from their slumber and desperately try to pull themselves together, delivering a more familiar and alert outro - but it's too little, too late, and it's not enough to save the song. It's a disappointing end to an otherwise enjoyable record.
So, despite their best efforts, The Dykeenies have only succeeded in delivering a decent debut, rather than anything truly essential. But that doesn't mean that they aren't worth your time. True, their worst songs can delve into the realms of tediousness at times, but their best songs begin as great tunes and grow into soaring anthems that more than justify their efforts. So no, it's not a perfect album. But it is a promising one.
Listen to: Stitches, Clean Up Your Eyes, New Ideas, Things You Cannot See
