You Can't Change That Boy, the debut full-length from the Glasgow-based group
Wake the President, came out on Electric Honey Records, a student-run label that has gained considerable attention for releasing, among other things,
Belle & Sebastian's
Tigermilk; given the semi-legendary nature of their label,
Wake the President's debut enjoyed a healthy dose of hype prior to its release. While
You Can't Change That Boy doesn't really reach the heights of
Tigermilk, it's definitely a solid first effort, especially in light of mixtape-worthy tracks like "Professor" and "Miss Tierney." These songs really show off
Wake the President at their best -- that is, when they stop trying to act like a storytelling band (kind of like
Belle & Sebastian) and start sounding, believe it or not, like
R.E.M. -- sure, they might have Scottish accents, but there's something about Eric Sandberg's arch, half-singing-half-speaking delivery, Bjorn Sandberg's jangly guitar work, and bassist Mark's knotty bass that just screams
Reckoning-era
R.E.M. ("Miss Tierney," "You Can't Change That Boy"). Contrast this with straight-up storytelling tracks like "Wake" and "Just Give Me Two Secs" (which almost sounds like something by
the Proclaimers) and there's just no comparison --
Wake the President are at their strongest when they stop trying to get all narrative and start getting fiery and danceable. ~ Margaret Reges