Hats Off to the Buskers [Record Store Day 2017 Version]

Demon
Hats Off to the Buskers [Record Store Day 2017 Version]
Hats Off to the Buskers [Record Store Day 2017 Version]

Tracks:
Comin' Down
Superstar Tradesman
Same Jeans
Don't Tell Me
Skag Trendy
Don
Face for the Radio
Wasted Little DJs
Gran's for Tea
Dance into the Night
Claudia
Streetlights
Wasteland
Typical Time

Performer Notes:

  • Hats off to the Buskers, the much-hyped debut from the much-hyped Scottish band the View, comes by its breathless plaudits honestly: this is first-class crunchy guitar rock with singable melodies and heaps of attitude. Kyle Falconer and company aren't breaking any new ground here -- stylistically, the band has a lot in common with fellow U.K. rock hounds the Libertines -- but they bring a kickiness and energy to songs like "Superstar Tradesman" and "Same Jeans" that cause a genuine musical jolt, the kind you wouldn't want to miss if you've previously surrendered thrills to bands like Arctic Monkeys. "Skag Trendy," "Gran's for Tea," and several other tracks say great mouthfuls about the View's commitment to keeping it real -- they're kids from Scotland with Scottish-kid stories to tell -- but in a way that's more endearing than alienating. Standouts on a disc you'll want to play eardrum-dentingly loud include the rollicking "Wasted Little DJs," the hard-hitting but playful opener "Comin' Down," and the ska-circling "The Don." [Pressed on 180-gram transparent vinyl, a 10th Anniversary Limited Edition LP of Hats Off to the Buskers was released for Record Store Day in 2017.] ~ Tammy La Gorce

Professional Reviews: Rolling Stone (p.70) - "HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS proves the View can play; the sound is more flying-V than raining shrapnel."

Spin (p.99) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hese young Scotsmen have grime to spare, along with a belief in rock's power to rescue them..."

Q (p.105) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Wasted Little DJs', 'Skag Trendy' and 'Superstar Tradesman' suggest there's a reckless, restless something about The View."

Uncut (p.81) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Coming Down' rips from the speakers, while 'Wasted Little DJs' exhibits shades of Teenage Fanclub."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.105) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Packed with knock-kneed riffs, scowling us-against-the-world menace and radio-friendly rock hooks, HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS burns with pop ambition."

Format: Vinyl (1 Disc)

Studio/Live: Studio

Release Date: 22 April, 2017

Label: Demon

Studio/Live: Studio

Label: Demon

Writer: The View