Vocalist and guitar duo pals Darren Forbes and Lewis McDonald joined forces with Scott ‘Paws’ Williamson (keys/vocals), Ben Sharp (bass) and Robert Land (drums) to form Shambolics in 2018. They were cited by music mogul Alan Mcgee as ‘one of the greatest Scottish bands’ and he signed them to his Creation23 label in 2019.
Their debut album `Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams` draws on influences from the world of indie rock, and the songs paint evocative pictures of small town life with stories that are inspired by Darren and Lewis’ youth growing up in Kirkcaldy, the coastal town in Fife, Scotland.
The album kicks off with `Attention` a pounding driving anthemic number about somebody who is obstreperous, a disruptive influence and realising that you have to move on from them. There`s a slight edge to `Coming For You` which relays what to do if somebody has it in for you. A pounding foot tapper with a guiding bass line.
`Daily Dosage` is a ballad like composition that hints at substance abuse and the desire to change the situation the narrator finds themselves and their partner in and realising the inevitable consequences if they don`t. The grinding monotony of a nine to five existence is the basis for `Everything` which implies a need to maybe change the situation. A fast paced pumping reflection.
`Fight In Side` is a real rock out that talks about metal health issues and possibly dealing with an inner monologue which may be schizophrenia or possibly a brain tumour or indeed just the way you are wired. We have a stripped back submission initially with `Filth And Scum` with a strummed acoustic guitar and vocals relating to those times when you appear to overthink your place in life`s rich pageant and believe times won`t get better. A synth like orchestration joins just before midway then it becomes a full blown band effort in the last sixty seconds or so.
`Fooling You` is a tale about somebody fooled by another who says all the right things to get what they want, then leave. A thoughtful number with a stop start musical backing. I thought `If You Want It` was fairly anthemic with occasional woooh wooohs and had that kind of chorus that would have the faithful singing or shouting along in a live outing.
`Influencer` is a fast paced story of the obsession of today`s social media influencers with the number of hits they receive and the power they have to affect the purchasing decisions of others. There`s a much more mediative number in `Losing Your Mind` and the dangers associated with drug and substance abuse, physically and mentally.
`Never Be Mine` is a kind of honest appraisal about somebody who has an interest in you and their attention is misplaced and will not be reciprocated. It races along at one hundred miles an hour as if it`s life depended on it. A pounding drumbeat announces and leads us through `Schemes` and it`s an intricately sung reflection on where you come from and the dreams and aspirations you have despite the perceived setbacks in a growing up in a perhaps perceived impoverished Estate.
We enjoy a Latin flavoured vibe on `Tambourine Tam` an amusing tale of a resident called Tom or Thomas that moves around the locality amiably tapping his tambourine. The album closes with `Universal Credit` written about the means tested social security payment for working-age people. The track was written after experiencing difficulties in claiming this benefit while the band were trying to create their album.
There was so much to enjoy on `Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams` which has fast paced numbers, some slower ballad like reflections and a couple of throw away amusing tales. It`s written from a lived in perspective of what these guys have grown up in and around and what they have witnessed to a certain degree.
I also loved the at times Fife inflection in Darren Forbes`s vocal delivery which has a superlative enticing texture.
Big things to come for Shambolics?? Let`s hope so.
Rating 8.5/10
