The Electrics
Livin' it Up When I Die
Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovern
What's cool is that the cover looks like some 80's metal artwork, in the style of Stryper's To Hell With the Devil or Messiah Prophet's Rock The Flock painting, with a medieval warrior with a flying V and a Marshall stack, repelling some attacking soldiers. Continuing in the rich tradition of Celtic music, The Electrics again squirt some vibrant rock & roll into a folky mix of said leanings. For example, "Rolling Home," complete with penny whistle, sounds a lot like a traditional melody, and the bag pipes finishing off the title track could've been bigger, and I'd have been happy. But don't forget the guitars, which usually have an energetic undertone, but thrive in the occasional solo. Thankfully, some popped up again in "Hey Paddy," which actually turns into what may be referred to as Celtic rockabilly. For more of this including appropriate guitar work hear the hilarious "Face." Julie Miller lent her vocal to "Come Back Down," which was cool to hear, as she actually did one of their songs ("Back of Your Head.") on her Invisible Girlrecord several years ago. (That's a bit o' trivia for ya, laddy.) Phil Keaggy also contributes some guitar. "Yer Man McCann Can" bears a melodic and structural resemblance to the old song "Riders in the Sky." In fact, a lot of country music is taken from traditional Celtic music. Just listen to the nearly honky tonk fiddles in "Party Goin' on Upstairs." The rollicking instrumental, "Piping Hot," is just that, and will get your heels a clickin'. Never short on energy and smiles, these Scotsmen don't disappoint.