The Saw Doctors, The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors.
Posted on 18th Aug 10 by Ciara O Brien | 
0
For nearly 20 years The Saw Doctors have been infecting ears worldwide with their signature blend of Irish folk-rock. With their newest release, the quirkily-titled The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors, the group have recruited some new blood, and with it, a couple of new sounds. The album sees the group branch out with some [...]
For nearly 20 years The Saw Doctors have been infecting ears worldwide with their signature blend of Irish folk-rock. With their newest release, the quirkily-titled The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors, the group have recruited some new blood, and with it, a couple of new sounds. The album sees the group branch out with some more mainstream indie-rock tracks as well as some slower, more melodic pop tracks, and for the most part, it works.
The Saw Doctors, The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors
The album opens with first single Takin’ The Train which is indicative of the new sound the group have adapted to. Takin’ The Train bemoans the confines of a small town in which it is almost impossible to grow. The fact that their aural growth is evident in the track creates an interesting dichotomy and lends the track the usual uplifting element of hopefulness which The Saw Doctors never fail to deliver. The track retains the prerequisite Irish charm the group are known for, but branches out into the mainstream with a chanting chorus which takes the track from ‘meh’ to an instant classic.
The Saw Doctors know how to lay out an album, and a new sound is almost always followed by a track with their classic edge. Second track Friday Town has a more well-known Saw Doctors feel, being an upbeat folk-heavy track which never fails to inspire cheesy dancing, whether you’re in the safety of your own room, or irritating people in traffic on the M50.
Some lower points on the album include Someone Loves You which is so heavily peppered with tongue-in-cheek cliché that it sounds more like the embarrassing drunken family member singing at a wedding. There is something very odd about their use of the word ‘girl’ in Westlife-style cheese-filled moments. Hazard is intended to be inspirational, but falls slightly short of the mark.
The Saw Doctor’s tracks are generally tiny snapshots of life, and in this album they have taken them from snapshots to movie clips. In The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors they are utilising both their own original sound, and contemporary music influences.
Be Yourself is a track which keeps the momentum going, despite a dip in energy towards the end of the album. It is an epic anthem for angsty teens and mid-life crises worldwide. Songs and Stars slows the album down to a close and is an unusually vulnerable track for a group usually so quirky. This track gives us a glimpse of the lyrical growth the group have undergone over the years. It combines mainstream indie with folk pop to produce a track that is sweet whilst avoiding cliché, it is one of their strongest tracks to date. Album closer Goodbye Again is a solid track which is unmistakably Saw Doctors in feel and acts as the perfect end to the album.
The Saw Doctors may have won a lifetime achievement award here last year, but this album shows that they still have a couple of surprises under their trench-coats. Whilst that might be slightly creepy, it seems they’ll be around to flash us with glimpses of genius for a long time yet.
Drop-d Rating: 7/10
Tags: Anthony Thistlewaite, Davy Carton, Eimhin Craddock, Kevin Duffy, Leo Moran, The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors, the saw doctors, Westlife