Customer Reviews

This Gift

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It took Sons and Daughters two years to craft their sophomore album, after the gloriously unique Scottish folk-rock of "The Repulsion Box."

And those two years have not dulled their musical skills, or the fiery vibrancy of their music. With lots of stylistic variety, but the same rough-edged rock'n'roll sound, "This Gift" is the musical equivalent of a nighttime joyride in a city lit by its own colours -- it's fast, tight, exhilarating and a little wild.

Blistering riffs. Racing basslines. Thumping drums. "She has a gilt complex/break her neck/now she's run, run, runnin' right over the edge!" Adele Bethel murmurs. She rattles through a breakneck melody full of disgust for greed -- "... all you see is what you'll get/he's trying to buy some kind of measure/he's not sure of all he has/but avarice is all that he's made of... and everybody knows!"

They relax a little with the next couple songs -- "Split Lips" is a smooth piece of guitar-pop, but with a piano-wire edge to the catchy acoustics. And "The Nest" goes all out into... motown. The sound is a little off-kilter, and Bethel starts off on shaky ground with her spoken-word lyrics, but it gains more power after she hits the chorus.

And from there, they stick to their rough-edged form -- but they try out all sorts of music. Most of them are either tight, rollicking Celtic-flavoured rockers, or fast-paced guitarpop with stomping percussions and rough riffs, like the blistering wails of "House in My Head." And they take a brief time out for "The Bell," a relatively refined pop song with lots of smoothly cycling guitars.

Sons and Daughters have called this their "pop album" -- but apparently that just means that it's catchy and danceable even in their harder songs like "Rebel with the Ghost." It hasn't got a shred of the slick, bland sound that you usually associate with pop music -- it's all tight melodies, rough edges and impassioned vocals from Bethel.

Nope, they've upped the tempo without changing their sound -- thumping/stomping drums, blazing electric guitar riffs and a few low-key acoustic ones, and muscular basslines burning just underneath. And there's a rough, fiery edge to every song, filling it with energy that is all rock'n'roll -- think their last album, but catchier and more accomplished.

And that muscular sound is only enhanced by Adele Bethel's voice -- she has a very pretty, clear, girlish voice. So she sings like a rocker ("so I rebel with the ghost/try to fight but my hands and feet are fading/holding onto the wall"), whether it's a "wa-oo-ah-oo!" yowl, blazing calls, or a throaty snarl (... and everybody KNOWS!").

If their first album was a smoky pub filled with dancing, then Sons and Daughters' sophomore album "This Gift" is a wild drive through the night. A brilliant follow-up, and a wonderful rock album.

Even if one doesn't have any gael in them this Glasgow quartet will have you up on your feet and rocking out to their infectious sonic assault. Guitar riffs that sink into your brain and Adele's vocals that rip at you and have you bopping along in no time.

I've been spinning this disk non-stop and I must say, there are few bands that just keep growing with every album, Sons & Daughters is one of those bands. From Love the Cup to Repulsion Box and now This Gift they continue to craft tunes that kicks you in the face and takes your wallet all while you are smiling.

Gilt Complex the first single off the album opens it up with a driving pulse that has a bit of sheen to it but its still raw and uncompromising. The tracks that follow, build upon the opening track and though they do slow down and give us a bit of sunshine, Darling, they don't let you catch your breath for too long before kicking it back up and rocking on.

This Gift is an awesomely catchy cd. I can't stop listening to it. It has a wonderful fun energy that only starts to waver during the last two tracks. But the songs " The Nest" " Rebel With The Ghost" and "Chains" are worth the cd's cost alone. I had been eagerly awaiting this cd, and I couldn't be happier with it. Sons and Daughters deserve much more exposure than they have had in the past,and hopefully more people will catch on to this fabulous band.

Although not a complete waste of time, I was very disappointed that guitarist Scott Paterson didn't sing more on this album. Adele's voice is great, but the band's overall sound is more dynamic and interesting when Scott takes over lead vocals on the occasional song and also when they duet. To me it sounded like their management or label was trying to take advantage of the current popularity of alternative female vocalists (i.e. Fiest, Nicole Atkins, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, Lily Allen, etc.) by having Adele do ALL the lead vocals and relegating Scott to backup on a couple tracks. There are a some good songs on this album ("Gilt Complex," "Chains," and "Darling"), but Repulsion Box is 100 times better.

I bought this based on its having been chosen for best of the year lists. Reviews were uniformly glowing- see all music entry. I tried to like this. No dice. It is formulaic. It is slick. It is annoying. The vocals in particular (which are one of the attributes most highly praised in reviews) are to me simply aweful. There admittedly is a good song or two on this disc. The first song I believe is decent and perhaps one other but that is it. The sound is pedestrian pop with a shot at a punk as well. Sorry but a waste of perfectly good money!

I stumbled upon this band at South By Southwest in Austin. They put on a great live show. Since then I picked up this album and their previous work. All are superb, though this album is perhaps the most solid. It works because its both familiar (blending elements of rock, punk, and perhaps a pinch of folk), yet completely fresh. The music is very catchy--owing to a combination of great vocal work combined with excellent guitar hooks and solid beats. Check out the songs "Gilt Complex" and "Iodine." Their earlier album Repulsion Box is equally fantastic.

It took Sons and Daughters two years to craft their sophomore album, after the gloriously unique Scottish folk-rock of "The Repulsion Box."

And those two years have not dulled their musical skills, or the fiery vibrancy of their music. With lots of stylistic variety, but the same rough-edged rock'n'roll sound, "This Gift" is the musical equivalent of a nighttime joyride in a city lit by its own colours -- it's fast, tight, exhilarating and a little wild.

Blistering riffs. Racing basslines. Thumping drums. "She has a gilt complex/break her neck/now she's run, run, runnin' right over the edge!" Adele Bethel murmurs. She rattles through a breakneck melody full of disgust for greed -- "... all you see is what you'll get/he's trying to buy some kind of measure/he's not sure of all he has/but avarice is all that he's made of... and everybody knows!"

They relax a little with the next couple songs -- "Split Lips" is a smooth piece of guitar-pop, but with a piano-wire edge to the catchy acoustics. And "The Nest" goes all out into... motown. The sound is a little off-kilter, and Bethel starts off on shaky ground with her spoken-word lyrics, but it gains more power after she hits the chorus.

And from there, they stick to their rough-edged form -- but they try out all sorts of music. Most of them are either tight, rollicking Celtic-flavoured rockers, or fast-paced guitarpop with stomping percussions and rough riffs, like the blistering wails of "House in My Head." And they take a brief time out for "The Bell," a relatively refined pop song with lots of smoothly cycling guitars.

Sons and Daughters have called this their "pop album" -- but apparently that just means that it's catchy and danceable even in their harder songs like "Rebel with the Ghost." It hasn't got a shred of the slick, bland sound that you usually associate with pop music -- it's all tight melodies, rough edges and impassioned vocals from Bethel.

Nope, they've upped the tempo without changing their sound -- thumping/stomping drums, blazing electric guitar riffs and a few low-key acoustic ones, and muscular basslines burning just underneath. And there's a rough, fiery edge to every song, filling it with energy that is all rock'n'roll -- and though the folkier rhythms are less prominent, you can still hear them in songs like "Chains" and the swirling title track.

And that muscular sound is only enhanced by Adele Bethel's voice -- she has a very pretty, clear, strong voice. And she uses those vocals like another rock instrument ("I rebel with the ghost/try to fight but my hands and feet are fading/holding onto the wall"), whether it's a "wa-oo-ah-oo!" yowl, blazing calls, or a throaty snarl (... open wide, draw the walls!").

If their first album was a smoky pub filled with dancing, then Sons and Daughters' sophomore album "This Gift" is a wild drive through the night. A brilliant follow-up, and a wonderful rock album.