Dave Hughes is a name that
might not be familiar to many Scottish folk fans, but that doesn’t mean it
shouldn’t ought to be. Since 2006, he’s spent the majority of his spare time
writing, driving, booking and, on occasion, playing. The Renegade Folk Punk Band
(of which Dave is a founding member) has presumably helped share the petrol
bill in addition to providing an extra dimension to his sound - and, if As You Are is any evidence, to his
songwriting.
The three-track extended
play kicks things off with a simple keyboard riff that almost sounds as though
it might be taught in secondary schools. This gives way to a deliciously upbeat
but still fairly lyrically intricate song, with the words sounding fairly
resigned to living life as ‘all we can be’.
This mood is carried well
into The Sinner and the Saints, an
adrenaline-fuelled fist-fight of a track, with the heaviest of snares
punctuating a chorus propelled along by male-female dual vocals. Their
self-labelled “anti-folk” genre is most apparent here, with Dave’s vocals
becoming more savage than perhaps one may expect from a band whose influences
include Bob Dylan.
There is perhaps only one
major downside with the record, and that is the tendency for things to get a
bit off-key. The vocals occasionally drift from the path - and not in a good
way - which can distract from the otherwise fairly tight musical work on
display here. A shame, given that it is otherwise very well constructed. Closing track In The Modern World is more of a solo
effort, which thankfully has enough urgency and intensity to cover most of the
vocal cracks.
Dave Hughes and the Renegade
Folk Punk Band’s experience in the field seems to have come together nicely to
create an enjoyable, sanguine EP, marred only by occasional dips in vocal
quality. If you’re open enough to getting over that hurdle, As You Are is a satisfying collection of
songs that should be congenial to most fans of good, old-fashioned Scottish
folk.
As You Are is out now.
As You Are is out now.
JS
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