Album Review: Tree Bursts in Snow by Admiral Fallow

Admiral Fallow has already established itself as part of the core group of Glaswegian bands leaving its collective mark on the British music industry right now. That’s certainly an impressive distinction, but the band’s second full-length album, Tree Bursts in Snow, offers them the best chance, as the saying goes, to make it in America. Comprised of Louis Abbott (vocals, guitars), Kevin Brolly (clarinet, keys, piano, vocals), ?Phil Hague (drums, percussion, vocals), ?Sarah Hayes (flute, piano, accordion, vocals) and Joe Rattray (bass, vocals), Admiral Fallow creates easy listening indie-folk accentuated by diverse instrumentation.

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Having been chosen as the soundtrack for a commercial first aired during 2012's Superbowl, featured on NBC's Chuck, and supported Snow Patrol, Glaswegian quintet Admiral Fallow are being touted as the act most likely to break through from the thriving Scottish indie-folk scene. Produced by Paul Savage (Franz Ferdinand, Teenage Fanclub), their second album, Tree Bursts in Snow, suggests they have that exact intention. "The Paper Trench" is an explosive slice of nu-folk which echoes the foot-stomping antics of Mumford & Sons; "Isn't This World Enough?" is a future festival singalong anthem which combines happy clappy beats, gospel harmonies, and a tongue-in-cheek take on spiritualism apparently inspired by the comedy of Tim Minchin, while there are definite shades of '80s Bruce Springsteen on the rousing Americana of "The Way You Were Raised" and the ode to their favorite drinking haunt, "Guest of the Government.

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Hearts might well burst under prolonged exposure to this record. Martin Aston 2012 Given its strong pockets of similarly inspired bands, "Scottish Indie" is a genre of its own, though it’s been through various mutations. In the immediate post-punk era, it was the Postcard label’s witty, acerbic guitar-pop (Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera), then the blue-eyed soul-pop version (Friends Again, Del Amitri, Hipsway), and nowadays it’s emotion-soaked widescreen melancholia, spearheaded by My Latest Novel, Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad and last, but not least, Admiral Fallow.

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