I wasn’t sure about Raintown going into this album. Part of the reason for that is that I struggle with married duos; there does seem to be a tendency among them to record sappy love songs, and they invariably incorporate a rather bland pop/rock style as they sing to each other about their never-ending love (excuse me for being terribly cynical, but despite being in a long-term relationship I cannot stand such outward displays of affection. Pass the bucket). Raintown, let’s be honest, are somewhat guilty of that, and although I never listened to their debut album ‘Hope In Troubled Times’ in full, I heard enough at the time to find them a bit boring.
Still, I tried to be open-minded when I listened to their follow-up ‘Writing On The Wall’, and truthfully it’s not as bad as I thought. With the comparison of more recent and more commercially successful duo The Shires now present, it’s notable how Raintown’s music does actually retain far more of a ‘country’ sound, albeit under a veil of pop sheen and over a grounding of mainstream rock guitars. They are primed for the radio, and I can only imagine the reason they aren’t signed too is because they’re not as “polished” looking as UMG artists Crissie and Ben. Perhaps if the scene in the UK was bigger, too, they would have been offered a deal, particularly since they have been around a good deal longer than many of the homegrown artists now on the rise.
From a commercial standpoint, they make sense. The majority of the PledgeMusic-funded 12-track record is mid-tempo to up-tempo, full production supporting close harmonies as pedal steel, banjo and mandolin make their respective appearances in a way that actually doesn’t feel contrived. Of course, they are firmly in the country pop sphere, but that doesn’t stop them from paying respect to the twangier side of the genre (which is more than be said for many artists in both the UK and US scenes). Tracks like ‘If This Was A Love Song’, ‘Nineteen Again’, ‘Living The Same Old Song’, and the catchy ‘Better Beautiful’ are all good example of this, with lyrics that showcase different shades of love and life.
‘Missing You’, which initially appears as simply a song about a couple who have drifted from each other, is actually a track about the 2013 Clutha Tragedy in the couple’s hometown of Glasgow, and their reflection on whether it would be a help or a hindrance to have the last voicemail from a loved one before they died. It’s the pleasant surprise of lyrical depth that makes this a nice listen – they’re not mind-blowing in their choice and handling of subjects, but it’s surely more inspiring than a lot of the material currently coming out of Nashville. Also concerning the loss of a loved one, ‘See You Again’ is a delicate ballad with a Celtic-like melody during the chorus, while the harmony-led and steel-infused ‘Forever Isn’t Long Enough’ sets a subdued mood that strips back the cheese on a simple love song. In both instances they toe the line between musically interesting and generic in a way that seems like something of a happy medium.
The duo turn up the volume for a touch of southern rock on the title track ‘Writing On The Wall’ and ‘Shut The Front Door’, the latter of which intriguingly tackles the subject of internet trolls. Different from what one might expect, there are specifics contained in the lyrics that indicate it’s an honest take on one person in particular – an approach that I respect, even if the lyrics aren’t the most poetic I’ve ever heard. Elsewhere, ‘Feel Much Better Now’, which has an arena-style vibe to it, celebrates how music and the radio can positively impact our lives, while cheery closer ‘Beautiful Life’ vows that no matter how bad life gets, everything will be okay because they have each other (surprisingly, not as vanilla as it sounds).
My only gripe with this record is that it’s rather clear that Paul should not be taking lead vocals. He sounds fine in harmonies, but his voice is not capable enough to take the lead role, and I don’t think the dynamics would suffer if Claire was front and centre 100% of the time. She has a decent voice that can carry a variety of styles, and I think they should stick with what works rather than trying to mix it up.
‘Writing On The Wall’ is not my album of the year, but if you’re interested in the UK country scene it’s worth checking out. It’s certainly not a bad record and the duo clearly put their heart and soul into it. Here’s to country pop with actual country.
Originally posted here.
