Sometimes an album is not just a group of people’s musical talent organized into 12 tracks. Sometimes the production process takes over a band’s creative flair and curves it into the producer’s own idea of what makes a good album. The Xcerts’ second full length ‘Scatterbrain’ is one of these albums. Thankfully however the producer in question, Mike Sapone, is one of modern rock music’s greats. From everything Brand New have released to the classic Taking Back Sunday album ‘Where You Want To Be’, via Public Enemy and The Early November, Sapone can be accredited to some of the decade’s finest rock albums. And now for the next decade; who knows what the next ten years will bring to rock music. However with albums like ‘Scatterbrain’ to kick us off it’s evident the next ten will be as good as the last.
The ‘proper’ opening/title track (prior to 'Scatterbrain' there is a minute of warped feedback, loud-hailer vocals and general haphazard noise) can be interpreted in two ways. Firstly it could be that one of Sapone’s last albums - Brand New’s 'Daisy' left behind a couple of demos and a load of equipment especially for the British trio to pick up where they left off… it seems unlikely but the sound is uncanny. Secondly this could be a sign of things to come: The Xcerts have ‘matured’. As singer Murray Macleod says in the press release “The first album was – as for most new bands – something of a 'greatest hits' from the band's early years” – a perfect blend of teenage angst, catchy melodies and most importantly a selection of great choruses whilst still retaining an edgier side. ‘Scatterbrain’ has done well do move on from ‘In The Cold Wind We Smile’. However where ‘In The Cold Wind…’ got the mixture of bassy riffs and melody spot on within each song ‘Scatterbrain’ struggles to hold the two as close together. Tracks like ‘Scatterbrain’, ‘Distant Memory’ and ‘Hurt With Me’ are fast paced, scuzzy and slightly all over the place, whereas ‘He sinks. He Sleeps’ and closer ‘Lament’ are shoe gazingly melodic. Both singles ‘Slackerpop’ and ‘Young (Belane)’ would have fit in well on ‘In The Cold Wind…’. Easily the catchiest and most likely song to get stuck in your head ‘Slackerpop’ will have you singing “I’ll be your man, I’ll be your mannequin” for hours.
Murray sums the album up pretty well: “This is an album lover’s album for the fans of the band. It’s not about a particular track or single and should be listened too as an entire body of work with an open mind. We hope everyone falls in love with it like we have.” I always knew The Xcerts had an album like this in them ever since the first time I saw them in a dingy local venue in front of about 50 people. Their live performances always did have an edge to them, a sort of sinister addition that when recording the band just couldn't seem to capture … until this album. ‘Scatterbrain’ – a brooding album album which patchily combines restless, angsty break downs with melancholic melodies.
