I Was A Cub Scout – I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope

I Was a Cub Scout first came to my attention when they supported Onebrow’s personal favourites, ¡Forward, Russia! at Reading Rooms in Dundee. When a two piece ensemble appeared, wearing skeleton costumes, it was the 31st of October after all, I didn’t quite know what to expect. It is interesting to see what just two people can do with today’s musical technology, which IWACS certainly make good use of. What I experienced was a set that made me want to dance, and which made my ears prick up at the electronic aspects of the music which were certainly interesting, even to someone who is a self confessed musical ignoramus, of sorts anyway.

Seeing as the album, which I promise I will get onto soon, was not scheduled for release until the 18th of February 2008, I downloaded all the singles off iTunes. I could not get enough of the dancey beats of IWACS, especially Pink Squares, which I first heard in TopShop in Manchester of all places. Perhaps the fact that all the singles, apart from the double A side to Pink Squares, Echoes, were upbeat has skewed my opinion of the album slightly. But I shall leave that up to you.

I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope seems to be a very hit and miss album. Some tracks, IWACS have got absolutely spot on. While others, could have been so much better if they focused less on the complex structure, and more on the catchy goodness of the stronger tracks IWACS manage to make so memorable. One such memorable track is the opener, Save Your Wishes. It is very immediate and the drum beat hits you and makes you sit up and take notice. There is certainly talent shining through from the drummer, William Bowerman, who is actually only twenty. He has a quite a job in a two piece band, especially to stop himself from becoming the next ‘Meg White’. Meg White he certainly is not, but that’s not just because of his gorgeous long  blonde hair, (he has a fan on stage to keep it nice, bless him) it’s because he keeps the drums at the forefront of the music, as well as keeping them deliciously complex and varied. Meg White is a good drummer, in my opinion, because she fits so perfectly with the stripped down style of the White Stripes. Similarly, William is a good drummer because he can keep up with the pace and deliver an interesting style, to complement the extensive use of guitar pedals and synth gadgetry that lead vocalist/guitarist/everything else-ist Todd Marriott employs.

Lucean is the first real break from the dancey IWACS that the singles seemed to suggest. If only because I lack a word that seems to fit so well, I would describe the song as lovely. It has nicely implemented soft piano tones, glockenspiel, which is never a bad thing, and some excellent trumpet playing from Sam Scott of Youthmovies fame. (Nicely linking in to Onebrow’s recent review.) This song does show that IWACS can do slow songs well, but sadly, this isn’t the case for the rest. Especially the last two tracks of the album, which seem to be lacking in something. I cannot seem to put my finger on what, but there is certainly something missing. The more dancey songs from the earlier part of the album are so memorable, especially Our Smallest Adventures and Pink Squares. However, I find myself unable to recall which songs were which when I think of the later songs, and the songs in between the more upbeat offerings.

On a more positive note, the highlight of the album has to be Pink Squares. The more I listen to it, the happier it seems. It has an incredibly catchy bassline running throughout, accompanied by bouncing synth and some more excellent drumming, especially in the bridge. I defy anyone not to dance to this song from the immediacy of the opening to the brilliant guitar shenanigans at the end. Quality stuff, and proof that IWACS are a great band, who can write great songs. They just need to concentrate on the slower stuff in order for it to be able to match the standard of songs like Pink Squares.

Perhaps that is why the slower songs seem to be lacking. Maybe in the context of absolute crackers like Pink Squares, Our Smallest Adventures, Echoes and Lucean, the others just cannot match up. As an album though, IWACS have certainly come up with a good one, and I could never expect it to be an album of Pink Squares’. You can see what the band were trying to do with the last two songs in particular, moving away from the dance beats and closer to a more epic song that is interesting structurally. The structure is interesting, but seemingly at the compromise of other aspects.

Certainly a band to check out if you want something a bit different in this era of bands that all look, and sound the same. I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope is successful in its attempt at something unique, but on creating a lasting impression, it seems less successful. The standout tracks are overwhelmingly the singles, so if they take your fancy, you can always buy them from iTunes. Alternatively, buy the album, support a band that are trying to make a difference to music, and feel happier having listened to it, maybe even dance a little. A band that encourage dancing are certainly not a band to be overlooked.