I’m not sure where it started but I’ve noticed a strange trend with Scottish acts making music with spoken “vocals” over the music. I’ve spoken about it on here a few times, likening them to Arab Strap since that’s where I first heard it.
An entire album of it would probably become quite trite quite quickly, but when it’s done well and comes outta nowhere, it really works. I think it might be the accent; pointed and thick, or maybe they’re just good storytellers. Maybe we’re all just terrible singers so our only option is to drawl over background music? With Over The Wall, a Glaswegian duo who formed in 2006, their speaky song is a monster, clocking in at 6:20, but spoken by someone who sounds like an Englishman who’s been living in Edinburgh for a few years.
The music is a combination of tropical Jack Johnson acoustic guitars, electronic Radiohead drumbeats, and Sufjan Stevens horns. On the song “Shifts”, all of those are present but it’s in a more atmospheric manner, with words of a sombre theme but a sound of upbeat optimism. Their debut album “Treacherous” was released towards the end of November and below you can hear both of the songs in question, but if you wanna get your paws on the album you can do so from Motive Sounds, or from Amazon or iTunes.
Connect with Over The Wall – MySpace | Website
Over The Wall – “Shifts”
Over The Wall – “Two Nightmares”
