Giddy Up
Stagecoach may claim to hail from London but on 'Giddy Up', there's a notable Americana feel to the track which may suggest an influence from across the Atlantic.
It's in the vein of melodic pop that the Yanks have been churning out for years and whilst it's not quite in the league of the big hitters over there, it's a commendable song, although there may not be a queue of people wanting to be singing the "giddy up, giddy up" refrain of the chorus.
The lead vocals have a sleepy edge to them and as the track meanders casually along, it's maybe less giddy up as settle for a relaxed trot. It's a nice track, the chorus does lift the spirits but there's just not a lot of excitement about the whole thing sadly.
B-side 'Neon Lights' travels down a dustier, more country-esque highway, sounding like The Charlatans when they dig out their Crosby, Stills and Nash records as opposed to the Curtis Mayfield stuff. This makes it very much like Tim Burgess' solo album when he believed he was Gram Parsons reincarnated, and it's quite a good song. 'Giddy up' is definitely the lead song as it has far more commercial strength but the bonus track can lay claim to being the more interesting and rewarding song.
They may make a big noise about playing on their bluegrass instruments and their second track certainly has country overtones and you get the feeling that Stagecoach have shown enough promise to deserve another crack at High Noon.