Album review: The Waterboys, Modern Blues Kobalt

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29 Jan, 2015 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

Chief Waterboy Mike Scott said after his last album - musical settings of poems by W.B. Yeats - that he wanted to return to rock 'n' roll, hence these nine often rambunctious, sometimes soulful, occasionally thoughtful and mostly engaging songs. His diverse musical references include Philly soul (with nods to Celtic-sounding strings) on the lovely November Tale, 80s guitar rock (Still A Freak, Beautiful Now), and Thin Lizzy on the driving opener Destinies Entwined.

Lyrically, he channels the spirit of 70s Dylan in his storytelling (the autobiographical Long Strange Golden Road) and country-influenced Van Morrison (the reflective Nearest Thing to Hip about lost record shops and cafes).

Listen to I Can See Elvis by The Waterboys:

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What prevents these songs being just stylistic implosions is Scott's word-spinning gift in images ("Venus in a V-necked sweater") and dense, memorable couplets urgently tumbling over each other. And this great band recorded live on discreet songs with his committed, up-close delivery.

On the slippery and soulful I Can See Elvis he envisions the King in the afterlife "skinny like he was back in 57, razor-quiffed, leather squeezed ... astride a golden Harley". It's a cliche, but he resuscitates it beautifully. Scott's still more than the self-description here: "Just a bunch of words in pants".