Into Music: New Music March 2025
Album opener Drop A Coin is a grooved, laid back track with Dave Eastman’s vocals sung with subtle confidence, backing “ba ba bas” add to the sense of warmth before an almost squalid, feedback-led guitar descends the song into a whirling cacophony of sound. Swiftly following is Falling Up, a Richard Butler-esque vocal providing feelings of isolation, self doubt, despair and claustrophobia while the band shimmer, the guitar like breaking glass, millions of shards reverberating while Evan Sult’s drums are a remorseless, pounding beat, before the rest of the band raise the noise a notch or two.
UK Trains does actually have the feeling of a runaway train battering down the track and is perhaps the most poppy offering here, all expanse, heart-on-the-sleeve stuff. Elsewhere, the band slow right back down on Not Never, a mainly acoustic affair and one that highlights the musical dexterity the band clearly have before My birthday brings the album to a close.
Seven tracks and each one has a story, a tale to tell and played by four accomplished musicians, flitting between the dark depths of rock’n’roll, post-punk, psychedelia to heartfelt acoustic numbers and some pop in between. Same Time Next Year is a fantastic album and one you need to hear – head over to The Open Flames Bandcamp page here for more.
————————————————–
The songs are all acoustic based, have a real ethereal feeling thanks mainly to Ashley’s textured and at times, fragile voice with John’s guitar strumming, guiding the vocal down a path littered with musical touch points. The title of the EP is quite evocative and helps bring a sense of land and sea and the part both play in Scotland’s story.
The closing Landmines is a real highlight, Ashley’s vocal reaching up to the sky, confident, expansive and a little reminiscent of Sharleen Spiteri at her finest. Edenbank are a welcome addition to the Scottish music scene – check them out via their Bandcamp page here.
————————————————–
All good, but there are a few bands out there who are as explosive live but for whatever reason they just don’t come across the same on record. So I was a little pensive ahead of the first spin of the album Leopard Print Hearts. Three or so minutes later I’m wiping sweat of my brow after the involuntary skanking induced by the title track, the trombone (2) tones via Phyl running through my veins, Ingrid’s vocal ticking along nicely, all matter of fact with a deadpan delivery. Fantastic.
And so it continues. Walk Away is a dirty country ballad with a haunting vocal, Johanna’s sax the star of the show. Jack & Jerry mixes west coast American punk rock with rockabilly vibes, the track talking of whisky, rum, a certain tonic wine that sells well in the West of Scotland. See It Believe It is the quintessential Scottish song, Dougie on vocals, exclaiming “get the fuck right out of my face“!!!
Do It All Again is my album highlight – (who doesn’t love a la la la), this is pure C86 with added brass and at a little over 2 minutes is perfect pop, bliss. The punkabilly folk/punk cover of Flogging Mollys Drunken Lullabies is arguably better than the original and an absolute hoot.
We’re Done is breezy and filled with thought provoking lyrics about relationships. Bouncy, bright and brassy, another stunning track that showcases the band in their finery. The production also coming through and the sound crystal clear. The cover of Rancid’s Timebomb with Gregor’s nasally vocal channeling his inner ’77 Strummer is punktastic whereas the jauntiness of Happy For A While with occasional bird whistle will have you toe-tapping to the point you are still doing it after the song has finished. Closing with Last Train Home as they often do live, it’s a rapid, feral, anxious track that ultimately hits the spot. Then … time for a breather and a realization that it’s time to put the album back on again because, well, why the hell wouldn’t you?
The band have an album launch gig at Audio in Glasgow on Saturday 22 March with special guests Corrupt Intention, Rudebeard and In The Plughole which will also double up as a fundraiser for Refuweegee and Ayrshire Cancer support. To support the band and the charities, buy tickets via Tickets Scotland here. For more on The Three ‘n’ Eights and the album (will be available in transparent yellow and black splatter vinyl), visit their Facebook page here.
John Welsh
@welshjb
