Arab Strap's David Gow and Adele Bethel put an edge on their previous band's sardonic nature for
Sons and Daughters.
Love the Cup finds Gow (drums), Bethel (vocals/guitar), Ailidh Lennon (bass/mandolin), and Scott Paterson (vocals/guitar) causing a rumpus with their merry folk-rock blend. The seven-song selection is pure grit, with traditional Scottish folk and blues-rock bits.
Sons and Daughters pretty much pay tribute to the original Man in Black,
Johnny Cash, throughout
Love the Cup and the set list itself sifts through
Cash's template of love, God, and murder. Mandolins and guitars create a fracas on "Fight," while the rockabilly-tinged eponym to
Cash and hankering licks of "Broken Bones" showcase
Sons and Daughters' more brassy side.
Love the Cup is a love affair with traditional folk music.
Sons and Daughters collect themselves in a cranny of classic poetry and music and in turn, they use their surroundings to craft one of 2003's more interesting albums. ~ MacKenzie Wilson