The Trash Can Sinatras
"Cake"
The Trash Can Sinatras are a bunch of plucky young strummers from Irvine
whose jangly little tunes, though steeped in a certain Morrisseyness,
genuflect most pertinently in the direction of the infant Roddy Frame
before he discovered the meaning of True Love. There is indeed a
detectable Scots tang to the tones throughout, only coming on a bit too
strong on the opening "Maybe I Should Drive" which has one speculating on
the current whereabouts of The Proclaimers, no less. Yet for the most
part there's a pleasing conjunction of melody, word and troubled voice
with the customary isolated stance and lyrical bleakness being well
camouflaged behind some positive sounding hooklines of which "Obscurity
Knocks" and "Only Tongue Can Tell" take most of the plaudits. Produced in
part by the currently hot John Leckie, it's a gently pleasing debut; one
for smiling enigmatically and turning up overcoat collars to.
Q Rating: ***
Reviewed By: Peter Kane
The Trash Can Sinatras
"I've Seen Everything"
It's possible they're going about this too quietly, but, 30 months on
from their enticing debut, "Cake", the Sinatras are much the same band,
just a bit better at everything. Their most engaging songs ("Easy Read",
"Send For Henry" and "Earlies") follow the sweet-melancholy voice of Frank
Reader (Eddi's sibling) through thickets of Smiley Smile-ish whimsical
harmony and a cyclic guitar jangling that's solemn and repetitive but
right. Lyrically, the touted clever clogs tap dance through the
sustained imagery of "Worked A Miracle" (a Thespian theme) and "I'm
Immortal" (love's trials as soccerspeak: Out for a spell I got
neglected/Lay on the bench unselected). The only gripe is that in
"Killing The Cabinet" the details of their interesting proposal are lost
in waves of that wistful Kilmarnock surf sound.
Q Rating: ****
Reviewed By: Phil Sutcliffe
If you have any questions, comments, etc, e-mail me at jdimaria@gis.net