A Band Called Quinn - The Beggars Opera
My Mum always told me to tell the truth, and if I'm gonna be keeping things real with her, then I just need to man-up, and come right out and say that this isn't so good...not even in a musical way, sadly just in a general way. Maybe it's just me, because this Glaswegian five piece electro-pop outfit are certainly stirring up some high profile interest, with the likes of Madonna, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Echo & the Bunnymen guitarist Gordy Goudie all confirming they are fans of the band.
The more I think about it, the more I think it's just got to be me... maybe I'm ill, maybe it has affected my hearing... either way this just isn't agreeing with me. A little background information might help on this one. The release is in fact also the soundtrack to a futuristic update on John Gay's 18th Century 'Beggars Opera', which the band spent a part of last year touring the record alongside the award winning 'Vanishing Point' Theatre Company. The show was allegedly a 'spectacle, pitched somewhere between a gig and a play', which from what I can gather received extremely mixed reviews. In essence, what we have here is the soundtrack to some performance art, which if you haven't seen this particular art performed...you'll be erm'...a little lost.
The music on this album generally goes the full spectrum between each and every track. I found myself thinking the Ting Tings to Mazzy Star in a couple of heartbeats, but in essence I found it hard to discover any real cohesion which for me is why this new take on 'The Beggars Opera' fails to impress.
It would be harsh to totally destroy A Band Called Quinn purely on this, as concept albums are often misinterpreted. Lead singer/songwriter Louise Quinn has more than pleasant voice, which is clearly fully convicted to her cause, and her band of merry electroids seem to have few problems backing this. But unless you've been to see the performance, or are a fan of the band, or even the contemporary re-workings of John Gay's original works, then I guess a lot like me that The Beggars Opera is most certainly not for you.