The Reindeer Section - Y'All Get Scared Now Ya Hear (2001)

What do you do when the world forgets to listen to your bands second album. Well, you go about attracting people's attention the only way you know how. First of all you write some sublime tunes and then you invite some superstars of the underground music scene around to help you record it. And that's what Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody decided to do. Snow Patrol's 'When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up' may have had the critics salivating but it hardly set the world alight. A bit of a shame really because songs like 'Ask Me How I Am' were pretty darn special. Lightbody's seized his opportunity at a drunken gig in Glasgow when he approached his mates from some other local bands about the possibility of recording an album together. A positive response had him penning over a dozen songs in lightening quick time. The album was subsequently recorded in the Ca Va studios in Glasgow in 10 days. He and the other 14 artists who collaborated with him became collectively known as the Reindeer Section. 'Y'All Get Scared Now Ya Hear' became one of the unexpected delights of 2001.

'Will You Please Be There For Me' is the terrific opener. Fragile, simple and stripped of electricity Lightbody's vocals sound like they have been recorded in the hull of a submarine. The gentle strumming wouldn't be out of place in Honolulu and as such don't deflect from the intimate wording. 'The Opening Taste' is similarly lavish in its skeletal approach. It has a remarkable hushed beauty and a simple melancholy that is truly haunting. Jonny Quinn of Snow Patrol provides the nervous drumming, scared that his interruptions could somehow deflect from the tunes subtle intricacies. This is surely music to watch the squirrels go by. Gill Mills, a presenter on BBC radio Scotland sings on '12 Hours It Takes Sometimes'. His voice is coarse and the composition has Will Oldham written all over it. Scattered and loose it is frequently touching especially when the piano keys tinkle delicately in the background. 'Deviance' is equally erratic, kind of shambolic but never enough that you lose interest. Failure was never on the cards anyway with Richard Colburn's (Belle & Sebastian) on percussion and Willie Campbell (Astrid) spinning bright chords.

'If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet' is the first real signal of Mogwai's John Cummings significant involvement. It may be lo-fi but there is intensity in the chord progression that smacks of deep rooted rock action. As Gary Lightbody sounds lost and forlorn Eva's Jenny Reeve sweeps in with a consoling violin. Jenny Reeve takes over on vocals on 'Fire Bell', a beautiful ballad that benefits from the most tunesome of keyboard doodles. 'Fire Bell' would be right at home on your collection of the best Gentle Waves songs ever. The fact that it's all over in 2 minutes makes it even more precious. 'If Everything Fell Quiet' has that by now familiar ramshackle rhythm that is infectious. From 'I've Never Understood' on things start to gather momentum. Gareth Russell of Astrid pummels out a bass line while the wheezy guitar sound seems almost neanthrathal when compared to the innocent vocals. Colin Macintyre of the Mull Historical Society duets with Lightbody on 'Raindrop'. The drumming becomes more assured and the distinct riff gives the whole operation an unprecedented groovy feeling. As it turns out 'Raindrop' is only the warm up act for the albums centrepiece 'Sting'. Where the early album basked in it's simplicity, 'Sting' develops into a jangling opera, a multi-faceted beast that is sure to become one of the singles of 2001. Mick Cooke of Belle & Sebastian adds a jaunty trumpet to seal matters.

After this high, the quality temporarily dips on 'Billed As Single', a diluted effort that is a bit of a chore to endure. 'Toute Le Monde' is slightly better and drifts a little closer to the Snow Patrol blueprint of crashing guitars and flailing cymbals. With the brief aside into sonic mayhem dispatched it's left to Arab Strap's Aiden Moffat to restore the generic Reindeer Section sound. 'Nightall' is a perfect vehicle for Moffat's almost lazy patter. The summer breeze instrumentation that shuffles round his warblings is the perfect cocktail. ‘The Day We All Died' comes complete with a flock of pigeons, put there intentionally to mask the singer’s flight of fond farewells. Once again the song's inspiration is simplicity itself and its execution is close to masterful. With some many cooks involved, this particular broth could have failed to catch the imagination. Luckily the myriad of performers go out of their way to give the album a unique blend. 'Y'All Get Scared Now, Ya Hear' is an album of disparate parts that will doubtless enthral everyone who owns it. It provides an intoxicating listen and much credit must go to Lightbody who took a big risk with the project. His risk taking took him close to the precipice, where for once the final straw didn’t come close to breaking the camels back.

Rating: 7/10

More Info: The Reindeer Section
Buy Album: [UK] Y'all Get Scared Now Ya Hear [US] Y'all Get Scared Now, Ya Hear

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