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Album Reviews
Album Review: It’s A Buffalo – Don’t Be Scared (Acoustik Anarchy)
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 16 March 2009
It’s A Buffalo evidently possess a higher level of emotional intelligence than most match-going Reds (supporters of Manchester United, to you heathens) have displayed since they listened to Bowie and rampaged around country like spotty Vikings. ‘Don’t Be Scared’ is an album of lovingly crafted folksy pop-rock. At the album’s crux is a fraternally tight unit, similar to that of Animal Collective. However, they do not borrow from Animal Collective’s sonic template (apart from one or two background campfire shouts). Instead there are touchstones from the standard Manchester band lexicon. John Squire goes country guitar illuminates the album as does the occasional Hooky bass lick, whilst on occasion it even steals from the likes of Springsteen and Dylan. All this sits on a bed of wistful and summery songs; closer ‘Run And Hide’ jumps off like a possible (if I was picking singles) single, a driven folk-pop song that would be the perfect soundtrack to a hot day drinking beer in the park with your friends or to keep everyone from killing each other in the car. In fact, it’s in general an album that lends itself to communal listening; the warm bass and drums sound, impassioned vocals and up-tempo songs are immediate moods lifters, especially in ‘Somewhere In Range’, ‘Climb Climb’ and the Cash-esque ‘Broken Toy’. What is most impressive is how It’s A Buffalo mix an intelligent range of songs that phrase a lot of sophisticated influences yet retain a charm and a sound which is definitely equipped to appeal to a wide audience. It makes a great music snob/non-music snob compromise album that I recommend to all. PG
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