Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Scottish comedy punks Rodent Emporium unleash their musical vision on an unsuspecting public. Musically varied and interesting, without being groundbreaking, it's really Stuart Gilmour's vocals which grab you. As varied as the music is, he screams, shouts and speaks his way through the tracks here, sometimes revealing a melodic pop baritone just to confuse us further. Drawing on influences as diverse as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Spinal Tap and Five Iron Frenzy, this is an album that grows with each listen as you discover and understand more of their humour. Little spiritual content is evident in the lyrics, but there is a Bible passage included in the inlay card. The humour is part nonsense, part topical and part juvenile, but not puerile or offensive. The most obvious tracks are "Badminton", about a shuttlecock thief, and the excellent metrosexual bashing "I'm A Man Not A Woman" with it's mid song therapy session exhorting "Scott" to "embrace your beautiful testosterone." There may be a certain amount of irony in the likes of "Cliff Richard", but it's all in good fun. The internet chatter indicates that their live shows are both manic and exhilarating, leading to the band gaining a slot at the Cornerstone Festival in the US. It won't suit everyone, and the joke may wear thin over time, but Rodent Emporium give us an enjoyable romp.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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