Prepare for the revival of the phrase “holy Moses.” Scottish quintet Admiral Fallow makes regular use of the exclamation in their new single “The Paper Trench,” arriving ahead of their Nettwerk debut “Tree Bursts in Snow.”
There’s a positive charge between lead singer Louis Abbott’s wordy brogue and Sarah Hayes’ pure, buoyant vocals; half the song is met with a third harmony and powerful rhythmic guitars, banging in time with the fours, Abbott’s narratives weaving easily like a thread meeting needle. The single is an accurate taster for “Tree Bursts,” which has its darker moments too. Overall, the term “indie-folk” doesn’t begin to describe the band’s fullness of sound, which allows in punctuation like that of multi-instrumentalist Kevin Brolly’s clarinet, or Hayes on flute. They’re rounded out by a stacked rhythm section of bassist Joe Rattray and drummer Phil Hague.
It’s appropriate that Admiral Fallow produced this set and their initial album “Boots Met My Face” with fellow countryman Paul Savage of the Delgados, a band whose own pop sound whirred with a similar energy and blender of folk-influenced rock sounds. “Tree Bursts in Snow” was also mixed by mastering master Greg Calbi, who’s left his signature on albums from The National, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver.
Despite a criminally short American tour last year, Admiral Fallow have gotten traction ‘Stateside with pickups from NPR’s All Songs Considered and Daytrotter. Their old single “Squealing Pigs” was injected into a GE commercial, which may sound familiar to anyone watching the Super Bowl and after. I had the rare opportunity to share the stage with them in New York last year, after they made stop-offs at SXSW; their live presentation of these precise, fleshy arrangements lack for nothing. And, lucky for us, the band is already hashing out details of another North American tour.
Photos from the Glasgow video shoot behind “Paper Trench” are already in circulation, with the promise of a treeman. The songs is up for sale tomorrow. You can pre-order “Tree Bursts in Snow,” due digitally May 22. Physical release is June 26. Another new song, “Beetle in the Box” is also available below in the lyric video.
Stayed tuned, with soft focus.
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