“Who are these People?”

Posted on 11th Jul 06 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Cowboy X
Author: Dave Scanlon

To misquote Jimmy Greaves" "Music " it"s a funny old game." It can instantly transport you back in time" and with a chorus or riff" can remind you of your first kiss" that horrendous break"up" that bit in Friends when Ross and Rachel pine away to the strains of U2" or your first time walking down Rue St Catherine in Montreal. Yeah" sorry" maybe that last one"s just me. "And the song in question is "Deeper Underground" by Jamiroquai" in case you"re curious." It"s made funnier still when an album can transport you 10 years into your past" despite only being released last week. Cowboy X"s recent offering "Who are these people"" does exactly that" sounding remarkably like that great album that Dubstar should have made. With the just"naff"enough sounding drums and spacey synths" Cowboy X recapture that dance"flecked pop"rock sound of the mid 90"s perfectly. And it"s far from merely a nostalgia trip" as it just so happens the album is cracking to boot.

On their press release" Cowboy X cite their main influences as Kraftwerk" Tori Amos and The Pixies" none of whom they resemble even slightly. What they do have though" is a keen ear for melody" and "Who are these people"" is one of the catchiest Irish records I"ve ever heard. Yes" it is that good. They marry just enough studio wizardry and cute musical tricks to their obvious knack for a good tune" to win over even the most fervent pop"music hater. Every track will have you humming along by the end" and there are some really gorgeous nuggets scattered throughout the album. "Eg. The lovely rhythmic confusion of "Live and Learn"" "okay" the end of that is a bit Pixies"ish" " the dropped beats bit in the middle of recent single "Between a Hit and a Miss" " the Garbage"like layered vocals on "2nd second."" Vocalist Karen McCartney suits their style perfectly" possessing a beautifully pure voice which she can twist from ingenue to vamp in a second. This is particularly evident on the winning" yet slightly sinister pop sound of breakthrough hit "Gabbi"" and on title track "Who are these People"" "The latter I love in particular" as it just screams of self"deprecation" with a kitsch"as"hell intro and 15"year"old Casio keyboard drum break. Honestly" you"d swear it was Republica"s follow"up to "Ready to Go"". They also appear to have borrowed The Go" Team"s shouty singers for "Do Not Pass Go." "Yup" it"s all go" go go." It"s all over in a flash" as at under 35 minutes" the album is careful not to outstay its welcome" leaving you wanting more" as all truly good bands should.

In our current musical climate there are very few rising pop acts that manage to be both credible and have genuine mass appeal. Cowboy X appear to have accomplished this with no small amount of style" and making it sound like a lot of fun while they"re at it. If there"s any justice" these guys will be on Oxegen"s main stage for 2007. I" for one" look forward to catching them.