Scotch Greens – “Professional”

From the moment I opened the CD case, I knew that this was going to be a gritty and fun album. The album cover is a photo of a room littered in anything from beer cans to posters and papers. It looks like a room that was trashed after a night of drinking and partying. I expected the music to be gritty, real and raw – and full of drinking songs. This certainly holds true throughout the entire album.

The track “Rumspringa” is a fast-paced track filled with throaty vocals, chanting, punk overtones and banjos to add a folk element. “Rumspringa”, interestingly enough, is a term used for Amish adolescents who wish to leave the community to go live with the “English” to experience modern technology and engage in questionable behaviour such as drinking, drug use and sex.

In fact, Professional continues with this theme of drinking and hard work and this can be seen especially “Drinkin’ By The River” and “Professional”. The entire album is filled with the aggression and energy of punk while still sticking to the lively storytelling of folk music. Typically, one wouldn’t expect bluegrass and punk to mix well but for the Scotch Greens it works. The record is a score and it even tastefully ends with an instrumental track worthy of boot stomping and raising your beer cans high.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Rumspringa
02. Professional
03. Drinkin’ By The River
04. City As Poison
05. Throw It Back
06. Great Time To Be Alive
07. River Of Blood
08. Meat, Teeth And Hair
09. Deaf Girlfriend
10. Acre Of Razorblades
11. Last Buffalo

Run Time: 32:07
Release Date: 04.04.2006