All-righty then! Woo-hoo! The Electrics are here, all the way from Scotland, with their heavily ethnic brand of rock ("pub rock!"). Ethnic in the Scottish sense--the traditional guitars, bass and drums are joined by pipes, mandolin, fiddle, keyboards, whistles, and an accordion! The accordion even adds a slight Cajun feel to the music, which is, I don't know, weird. Sammy Horner's voice sometimes reminds me of old Bruce Springsteen a little, if Springsteen had been born in Ireland instead.
There are a couple of acoustic songs, but for the most part it's all high-energy "raise your beer glass" music. The lyrics are typically story-based (Scottish music), and meant to convey a cool spiritual truth. Each time I listen to this disc, it fully pumps me up for about the first three songs. I'm nodding my head, really enjoying the experience, sort of like I do with ska (similar repetitious rhythmic quality here). Then I hit the ballad, which is nice. After that, it all starts sounding the same and I gradually realize it's really irritating. For me this is just going to be a novelty album, best experienced a couple tunes at a time once in a while. For fans of fast Irish, Scottish, bluegrass, Cajun, AND rock-n-roll, though, this will probably set you dancing a jig with joy for hours.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse March 1998Reviewed by Roger AppelinskiI first heard of The Electrics on Julie Miller's "Back Of Your Head." They were her band on that song, and I really liked the Celtic folk flavor. So, it was interesting to see that same song kick off The Electrics, which is (as far as I know) their debut release here in the U.S. The Electrics remind me a little bit of The Crossing in some respects: the instrumentation, the backing vocals, and the…7ball #13Reviewed by Father Mosh5 Minute Walk--SaraBellum's parent label--has introduced us to some of the most enjoyable modern rock bands that we've heard in recent years. Artists like Seven Day Jesus, Black Eyed Sceva (now Model Engine), Dime Store Prophets, Dryve and Five Iron Frenzy have come from the 5MW/SaraBellum stable. Now, for the first time, the label has gone off shore--to the United Kingdom--to sign a band, and it…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Jeremy ChoiWith only a handful of notable bands in the Christian market creating half-decent Celtic-influenced folk and rock music, the Electrics have set themselves apart as one of the most authentic and intense bands of this genre. Garnering a very loyal following with their previous efforts, Visions and Dreams (1991), Big Silent World (1993) and The Whole Shebang (1995), The Electrics have become a…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by James StewartHaving heard of The Electrics for years, and following them for a couple of those, it's been a strange experience to pick up the recent buzz about them from the USA. This album is something of a 'best of...' with all tracks re-recorded under the watchful eye of Masaki Liu (Dime Store Prophets). Many favourites are here and are definitely sounding better than ever but I was a bit disappointed that…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Linda T. StonehockerPipes, penny whistles, pubs, and pints. This is manly music created and played by manly men from Scotland and Ireland true to their roots, who know their way around a public house equally as well as a church. The "whole shebang" adds up to a rollickin' good time, a refreshing change from standard CCM cliched rock. 5 tocksThe Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Shari LloydThe British Isles is sending a lot of great music across the Atlantic lately. From Scotland, the newest group is the Electrics, a wonderful blend of rock and Irish folk music. You'll find the usual guitars, drums, and keyboards plus Uilleann pipes, an accordion, a fiddle, a whistle and a mandolin. The Celtic influence is everywhere and is sure to have you tapping your toe. Highlights are "The…Similar sounding releases
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