Cosmic Rough Riders - Enjoy The Melodic Su

  by Olga Sladeckova

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Review

The Cosmic Rough Riders are from Glasgow and do not leave their city in shame. They are a guitar-based, indie pop band and formed in 1998, feature Daniel Wylie (lead vocals), Stephen Fleming (electric guitar, backing vocals), Mark Brown (drums, backing vocals), Gary Cuthbert (acoustic guitar, backing vocals), and James Clifford (bass, backing vocals). In 1999 the Riders released their first album “Deliverance” and followed this in 2000 with their second album “Panorama” . Both of them were self-produced by the band and self -released came out on their own label Raft Records. These two albums have since both appeared in Virgin’s Encyclopedia of the Greatest Albums of all time. The Cosmic Rough Riders signed to their present record label Poptones after playing a gig at Glasgow venue “Nice’n’Sleazy” where they literally blew Alan McGee, the Poptones director, away. The first fruit from this collaboration is their new record “Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine” It is a fifteen-track album which, showing off the best of the Cosmic Rough Riders, includes three songs from “Deliverance”, nine songs from “Panorama” as well as three brand new songs. The opening song “Brothers Gather Round” clearly sets the scene in which the Riders thrive upon. Friendly guitars jangle with rhythmic drums to create a solid background, and to this a host of other instruments such as piano, violin, mandolin, guitars and bells are added Daniel’s voice either joins these instruments at the same level, modestly holding backand helping the music to evolve into a magnificent waterfall of sound , or alternatively self-consciously standing out so that he can deliver an important message. “Revolution (in the summertime?)” and “You’ve got me” both carry a lot heavy thoughts and have you listening to every single wordof their lyrics. On the other hand , “Baby, You’re So Free” and “Melanie” calm your soul down and give you a direction out of the gloomy maze you might have got yourself in by listening to the sad tracks. The Riders characteristic music takes after such great bands as the Byrds, Teenage Fanclub or even R. E. M. which is a guarantee of quality. They provide plenty of sunshine with their beautiful melodies. Why not take some home - there is enough sun f

Track Listing:-

1 Brothers gather round
2 Gun isn't loaded
3 Glastonbury revisited
4 Baby you're so free
5 Value of life
6 Revolution (in the summertime)
7 Have you heard the news today
8 Sometime
9 Melanie
10 Pain inside
11 Charm
12 Loser
13 You've got me
14 Emily darling
15 Morning sun