Drever, McCusker & Woomble: ‘Before The Ruin’

When The White Stripes decided to do the Highlands – albeit briefly – on ‘Icky Thump’, it resulted in eerie, subversive frenzy. Kris Drever, John McCusker and Idlewild's Roddy Woomble, however, choose a more traditional approach.

This inevitably produces a ‘Visit Scotland’ soundtrack that is by turns sweetly melodic and an undemanding, unimaginative affair that betrays its short gestation.

Woomble’s voice, allowed to preside over most of the record, is simply not loaded enough to evoke the beauty that inspired this collaboration. Heavily rooted in its motherland, ‘Before The Ruin’ makes several references to the sea and sky, soaking its production with strings and wind instruments. This works beautifully on ‘The Poorest Company,’ which builds to the kind of poignant sing-along expected of the country that gave us ‘Danny Boy’, and the cute ‘Out Of Light’.

The trouble with the album is that it does very little unexpected, obviously made with love but lacking the nerve to rise above the ordinary. The title track shows promise with its tough verses, only to deflate with a dull chorus. ‘Hope To See’ is the conventional ballad at the midway point of the proceedings, while ‘Moments Last Forever’ shows some signs of formula-breaking (nippy percussion! a great bridge!) only to find more solace in banality.

Released on 15th September 2008 by Navigator Records.

Written by Polis Loizou.