born ruffians - red yellow and blue

Red, Yellow and Blue takes a refreshing approach to the art of yodelling - by adding some actual tunes. Singer Luke certainly has a fondness for imprecise scaling, as well as a skill for close-harmonies; ‘Badonkadonkey’ being a prime example of giddy-up skiffle rhythms and 3-way rejoinders. At times allowing Luke to flit about the place proves tricky though, as on ‘Hedonistic Me’, where the softly treading country rock guitars are strangled by his constant straining wail. ‘Foxes Mate for Life’ is a delightful slow burner, kicking in after the one-minute thirty mark. The childish lyrics of “I know foxes mate for life / because they’re in loooove” give a monochrome shade to what is a sporadically colourful album. Meanwhile, their TV played debut ‘Hummingbird’ (yes, from Skins) is just on right side of unkempt indie pop to keep young whippersnappers grinning beyond its three minutes. It helps that Luke is able to resist his urge to yodel all over the verses, so you wouldn’t feel stupid singing along. Repetition can often breed contempt though, and this record ultimately feels like a best friend you love to hate. Ace though it is to have some of the songs spinning through your mind (just trying uprooting those ‘oh oh oh’s from your cranium!), you may not fancy committing to prolonged periods with it.