Runrig were a band I'd heard of as a Scottish nationalist rock band, but had never really encountered musically until seeing this cheap in a charity shop in Oundle (lovely little town, bit dominated by Hogwarts, but has real English charm) last week.
Let's listen to Runrig!
This is their 5th album, and was the first to chart in UKI really like the opening song Alba, It's got a powerful beat, it sounds exciting, and the Gaelic lyrics feel like they are something more than the mundane. The Cutter bounces along brightly (not to be confused with the Echo & the Bunnymen hit), and is listenable, and Hearts Of Olden Glory has a certain charm, despite the earnestness dripping from it.
But this sentimentality, seriousness and musical lack of adventure gets tired after a while, it feels like plodding anthem after plodding anthem, and there's little as the album progresses that makes me want to revisit, or continue.
Sorry lads, it's not for me. Perhaps it's the 1980s over-production, the AOR tunes but more likely the sheer lack of humour or spark which disappoints.
2* - some bright moments early on, but it eventually all merges into one anthemic dirge
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