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The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers
March 18, 2004 @ The Paradise
 Armed with the same thick glasses and even thicker Scottish brogues that
made them a hit almost a decade ago, the twins who once claimed to walk
"500 Miles" for the sake of a woman made the trek across the pond to
Boston to promote their latest album, "Born Innocent." Opening the set of
rapid-fire three-minute tunes with the spare and hollow title track, the
twins who were touted as "two of the UK’s best songwriters" channeled
another famous British songwriting pair (i.e., McCartney and Lennon) with
the first of their many Skiffle-influenced tunes, the bouncy "Hide My
Love." This ditti-fied direction was pervasive throughout the night,
recurring in such songs as "Role Model" (an old-fashioned tribute to
contemporary career women) and the surfy Edmunds-esque "Should've Been
Loved." When not keeping the crowd’s feet tapping, the Proclaimers had
them pondering with the political "Cap in Hand" and the traditional
"Scotland’s Story," both of which got some kilts in a bunch with their
provocative lyrics. Amidst these lighthearted bouncers and heavier
statements, the band mixed in familiar favorites like the rousing "Letter
from America," the determinedly plodding "I’m On My Way," the
aforementioned crowd pleaser "500 Miles," and a cover of "Five
O'clock
World" that had the band’s at times lazy drummer up and dancing! With the
vocals far in the foreground, the boys’ often indecipherable lyrics acted
as an additional instrument, adding lush new layers to the steady rhythms
and clean guitar and pedal steel work. Overall, it was a refreshing
reminder of what impassioned songwriting can bring.
- Matthew S. Robinson
c. 2004, M. S. Robinson, ARR
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