The Proclaimers

Item: Born Innocent
Author: Brendan Boughen

Born Innocent

(2003)

Reviewed by Brendan Boughen

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Label Persevere RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

celtic rock folk rock pop rock

If the true rock 'n' roll attitude is honesty, being yourself and not following the crowd, then there is arguably no better incarnation of that attitude than The Proclaimers. Yes, those Proclaimers. Remember the geeky twins from Scotland whose accents are as thick as the rims of their glasses?

Yes, admittedly, they've been out of the limelight in recent years, so if you're still drawing a blank, here's a quick recap. Over the last decade and a half, they have scored international hits with "I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)" and "I'm On My Way" (which also featured recently in the Shrek movie soundtrack.) With those two songs from their 1989 album Sunshine on Leith providing their bread and butter, Craig and Charlie Reid have managed to record three albums since, albeit with a seven year hiatus between Hit the Highway (1994) and Persevere (2001).

In typical Proclaimers fashion, Born Innocent has now come out with little fanfare, in direct contrast to the style of the music. The songs are gutsy and raw as usual, with feisty pessimism and passion -- both sexual and political -- the defining elements. I don't know of another band that belts out the vocals like these guys do in such a soul-stirring and cathartic manner. (Bono on the early U2 records comes close, but not anymore.) And again, the earthy Christian spirituality of the Proclaimers breaks through in several songs on Born Innocent, like it did with "Then I Met You," "The Light," "I Want to Be a Christian," and the title track from Sunshine on Leith.

It seems to me that this Christian heritage is one of the more under-recognized aspects of the Proclaimers' music. Their spiritual outlook has undergone an evolution in itself, from the positive praises of "the Chief" to the more cynical, Ecclesiastes-like reflections on whether God really exists on Hit the Highway and the albums since. It is always honest, and tends to see God as a presence evident in life itself, rather than a Being up in the sky.

There's no doubt about it now
I can't find a reason for existence in my mind
I feel there must be something else
But maybe I just fool myself
I want to know the God you know
But he never seems to show
There's no doubt about it now
I don't know
("No Doubt")

On the whole though, The Proclaimers get most worked up over hypocrisy, arrogance and injustice in all its forms; be it in personal relationships or wider society. The frustration seeps out with regularity and is clearest in the title track of Born Innocent.

We're born innocent, found guilty
Living life is treated like a crime
We're born innocent, found guilty every time
Our best never beats our worst
It's as funny as it's perverse
We're born innocent, found guilty every time
Blame parents, blame religion
And the papers and the television
Blame ourselves for causing pain
We love to blame

Well known for their patriotic support of an independent homeland, The Proclaimers' political views are always bubbling somewhere under the surface of their music. On "Blood on Your Hands," certainly the most rocking song to date in their repertoire, they appear to be directing their anger towards terrorism in all its forms, be it from individual groups or governments.

There's blood on your hands from somewhere new
Wash it away, wash it away
Your latest success must be pleasing you. Sleep tight.
There's blood on your hands from your martyr's bodies
Looks the same shade of red to me
But even in your dreams
You can't get your hands clean
Do you think they will clean them in paradise?
("Blood on Your Hands")

The snarl of this track and the vitriolic "Hate My Love" are balanced by the more tender moments of "Unguarded Moments," "You Meant it Then," and "Redeemed."

The sun came rising up and it drove away the darkness
The morning air is clean
I am redeemed, I am redeemed
I don't trust myself, so I trust myself to reason
But I feel what it means
I am redeemed, I am redeemed
("Redeemed")

For a band that has sold millions of albums worldwide to be now releasing albums on their own independent label with cover art that looks like a demo, while still playing live in clubs as well as the occasional stadium across the globe, defies the usual modern formula for pop-music success. The Proclaimers do it their way. They may never hit number one on the charts again, but their tunes will always resonate with heart and truth. If you can find Born Innocent, you will experience this in spades.

As an aside, there is also a new, low-price "best-of" collection of old Proclaimers songs that is floating around music stores right now, simply called Finest. It should have been titled Rarest, as half the songs are in fact B-sides to their singles from the first three albums and the King of the Road EP. Very good value for what is on there, especially for the collector.

5 tocks