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The View — Ropewalk (4 September 2015)

The View — Ropewalk (4 September 2015)

                   The View — Ropewalk (4 September 2015)                                                        Ξ★  “Viděl jsem praskliny v tomhle městě. Ne jenom na tomto místě, mluvím o trhlinách v mysli.” Album týdne v Scotcampus. Scottish indie rock band sporting snappy singalong melodies cut with a twist of hedonistic abandon.
Formed: 2005 in Dundee, Scotland
Styles: Alternative Pop/Rock
Location: Dundee, Scotland, UK
Album release: 4 September 2015
Record Label: Cooking Vinyl
Duration:     35:09
Tracks:
01 Under the Rug     3:36 
02 Marriage     3:31 
03 Living     3:15 
04 Talk About Two     3:31 
05 Psychotic     3:38 
06 Cracks     3:00 
07 Tenement Light     3:39 
08 House of Queue’s     4:07 
09 Penny     3:19 
10 Voodoo Doll     3:33
Group Members:
Ξ★  Kieran Webster — Bass, backing vocals
Ξ★  Kyle Falconer — Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, ukulele, Harmonica
Ξ★  Pete Reilly — Lead guitar
Ξ★  Steve Morrison — Drums, percussion
Production:
  Albert Hammond Jr. — Producer
  Gus Oberg — Producer
  Justin Gerrish — Mixing
Album Moods: Exuberant Playful Reflective Urgent Boisterous Confrontational Energetic Fun Passionate Rollicking Summery Yearning Celebratory Gleeful Humorous Sleazy                                                                                                                 AllMusic Review by Matt Collar;  Score: ****
♦   The View’s fifth full–length studio album, 2015’s Ropewalk, features more of the Scottish outfit’s exuberant and lyrical post–punk sound. Produced by the Strokes’ guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr., Ropewalk also includes production from Swedish–born engineer Gus Oberg (the Strokes, Moby, the Postelles) and mixing from Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, Ra Ra Riot, the Strokes). The album follows up the band’s well–received 2012 effort, Cheeky for a Reason, which reached number one on the U.K. independent albums chart. As with that album, Ropewalk finds the View further maturing into a tight, sophisticated outfit, capable of balancing the punk energy of their early work with a more nuanced sense of song craftsmanship. Once again, lead singer/songwriter Kyle Falconer, with his cherubic Scottish brogue, remains the focal point. While he sounds as youthfully energetic as ever, at age 28, his lyrics reveal a growing self–awareness shaped by the concerns of adulthood from having kids, to getting married, to letting to go of certain recreational substances. On “Psychotic,” he sings, “That stuff you call your savior is really killing you.” And it’s not just Falconer’s lyrics that have deepened, his impassioned croon is well–served by the band's inclination toward driving, classicist pop/rock that's equal parts Fleetwood Mac and Arctic Monkeys. Perhaps not surprisingly, you can also hear a lot of the raw melodicism and frenetic creativity of producer Hammond's work with the Strokes here. ♦   While there are certainly some recognizable production choices to note — dry percussion pushed up in the mix, just a hint of church–like reverb on the vocals — to Hammond and Oberg’s credit, they seem to have done little to mess with the straightforward nature of the View’s sound. It’s vintage–inspired but not retro, and works perfectly with group’s ‘70s–style cuts like “Penny” and “Voodoo Doll,” which bring to mind a mix of the Faces and ELO. Similarly, tracks like the moody “Under the Rug” and the swooningly infectious “Living” have a crisp, tactile quality that sticks with you. Also: By Anna McAlpine · scotcampus · On 14/08/2015
♦   http://www.scotcampus.com/album-of-the-week-the-view-ropewalk

Website: http://www.theviewareonfire.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/viewofficial
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/View                                                    Studio Albums:
Ξ★  Hats Off to the Buskers (2007)
Ξ★  Which Bitch? (2009)
Ξ★  Bread and Circuses (2011)
Ξ★  Cheeky For A Reason (2012)
Ξ★  Ropewalk (2015)
Compilation Albums:
Ξ★  Seven Year Setlist (2013)
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The View — Ropewalk (4 September 2015)

ALBUM COVERS XI.