The Crocketts – We May Be Skinny & Wirey (1998)

I think I picked this up in a CD shop in Soho for a quid, having heard one track on a compilation that came free with a music magazine. I suspect I gave it a quick spin, then put it on the shelf, and promptly forgot about The Crocketts for two decades. As did everyone else.

The Crocketts formed at Aberystwyth University in the mid 1990s, and released two albums, this one being the debut. My limited knowledge would list their influences as Pixies, Pavement and similar, while a couple of websites describes their music as 'cowpunk'. I do own a compilation CD called Cowpunks, which I might allow to jump the queue to be reviewed.

So, The Crocketts - loud, at times frantic and shouty, but quite engaging if you enjoy that.

Openers Flower Girl and Loved Ya Once wake the listener up with an energetic style, with a bit of a slowdown for Explain. The gentler stuff continues with Bluster Boy, growing to a shouty crescendo, but by Girl Next Door, it's beginning to feel samey. Tennessee increases the velocity and decibels, to my liking, but the sweary Will You Still Care, doesn't work for me. Closet Heroine and Six Soon To Be Seven are instantly forgettable. Bucket And Spade starts a little more bouncy, but soon rambles, while Autumn Afternoon is a folky, wistful song. There's a bit more life in the alternately slow and frantic Strong Guy, and the album ends with the short, acoustic, sweary Blue Dog, feeling almost like an afterthought rather than a finale.

The band's style doesn't quite gel with me, and although the album has its moments, it doesn't make the impression that makes me want to seek out more. Many groups appeared about this time, many offering less than The Crocketts went on to success and stardom, but you have to wonder whether they paid the price for ploughing their own furrow rather than chasing the hits.

Link to album tracks

2* - a brave debut which doesn't quite work for me