The FREQUENCY-IRELAND Music Alternative

An independent voice on choice sounds from the alternative/underground music scene in Ireland.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Cowboy X

With a well received debut album last year in 'Who Are These People?’, which received quite unanimous appraisal in the media in Ireland, two singles, and their first UK tour last November, Cowboy X had a busy year in 2006, and hardly need any introduction here. I've read a lot of nonsense written about them however, so perhaps we're overdue pitching in an opinion here.

For all their refreshingly electro guitar-pop sound, and alluring vocals in Karen McCartney, the album as a whole falls a bit flat and has a formulaic ring to it. In such light, it's not a surprise to see that two of the band members also involve in the production of soundtrack music. Harsh, perhaps, as this hasn't stopped the band amassing quite a massive fan base online, but to me it's all quite comparable to Garbage with a sophistication-complex, gone a touch soft. Actually, in Gabbi, a single taken from the album, they almost sound borderline Dubstar.

However, when they do get it right, as in track '2nd Second', they can be quite irresistibly delicious. The recently made video to this track can be viewed on their myspace page, and is well worth the visit for, while sound nuggets from all the album tracks can be streamed from their website. For those suitably impressed, the album can be purchased directly from their website and myspace page.

Related Links:

http://www.cowboyxmusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/cowboyxmusic