A track by track review of ‘Re-Order Of The Toad’, the new album from Glasgow esoteric indie-psych trio Order Of The Toad.
1. Ladys Mantle Previously released, read about it in detail here
2. Just Because Mellow pop built around rhythm guitar, a driving middle-eight and the spooky chorus that stays in your head.
3. Rabbets The tale of Mary Toft, who claimed to be giving birth to rabbits in 1726. The bizarre story, baritone vocal and counterpoint musical complexities make this a great listen.
4. Brintons Marrakech Possibly a song about a carpet or a Moroccan city or who knows? I like the way the vocals are linked and underpinned by the unrelenting bass and guitar figure.
5. Fabulator The band draw on that 60s hinterland between prog rock, folk and psychedelia on this album to great effect and this is another track that splices pop into that heady brew too.
6. Slow Ballad 44 Moody and sombre, with unexpected chord changes to keep the listener guessing. Maybe this would be an unpredictable live set opener, pulling the audience into the world of this unique band..
7. Do It With Feeling Loose, laidback retro type hit with spiky instrumental passages. Sounding simultaneously timeless and modern, it could be nicely covered by fellow psychsters King Gizzard…
8. Lindow Woman Another historical theme and detailed lyric, this time the narrator inhabits the remains of a body from Roman times found in a peat bog in 1983. Listen, learn and enjoy…
9. Toads Theme A strange epic duel of character-filled vocals and abrupt, urgent instrumentation. An incomprehensible delight.
10. Mend It A hippy reverie with a comfortable psychedelic melody and structure, in the middle it breaks up nicely into distorted guitar solos.
11. A Pittance Like a medieval tale of legendary battle, the marching drums and bass play along under a fine storytelling vocal from Gemma Fleet.
12. Cruise Control This final track combines many other elements from the album to make a fresh, sparkling punch of pop.
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