Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Pain in the Heart b/w Tiptoe by Be A Familiar


Pain in the Heart b/w Tiptoe cover art

Artist: Be A Familiar
Title: Pain in the Heart b/w Tiptoe
Catalogue Number: Broken Friend Records
Review Format: 45
Release Year: 2008



Be A Familiar are a Glasgow band and we like Glasgow bands here at Bluesbunny Towers. It's always good to hear something good from our local talent, after all. Fortunately, these two songs are actually good.

"Pain in My Heart" is pretty much a pop song for the summer. It's got a proper hook and it stomps along at a fair old pace with some very effective trumpet playing to bring life to the mix. Vocally, the male/female interplay is reminiscent of a Glasgow legend of days gone by but the whole song comes together well and sounds much better and more professional than we have come to expect from a Glasgow band. "Tiptoe" is a bit quirkier and darker but, again, throws in a decent level of dramatic emphasis that lifts it well above what would normally be expected of a flipside.

Nicely executed songs without a doubt but the question is whether there is really enough here to distance themselves from the likely competition such as their compatriots We See Lights. It's good to hear a Scottish accent in there (and the below the line Deacon Blue influences to the vocals won't do them any harm either) but the end result is still indie pop. Hope it does well anyway.


www.myspace.com/beafamiliar
Reviewer:
Review Date: August 24 2008