The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir not only follow the indie pop formula that Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura made popular in the late '90s, they do it without a focusing on getting that glossy finish so that the album breathes with a innocence and charm of a young band. I Bet You Say That to All the Boys finds an eager foursome experimenting with various instruments, mostly keyboards, organs, trumpets, and cellos for a more decadent rock sound; however, the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir craft their own spunky style, a mix of sophisti-pop and classic indie pop. Themes of finding new love or wishing upon a star for your crush to notice you is captured in the sweetness of "All the Heart You Wear on Your Sleeve" and "Ellen's Telling Me What I Want to Hear." Slight post-punk edges nurture the bruised affection of "Would You Still Love Me If I Was in a Knife Fight?" while "She Just Wants to Move" is much more playful with its '60s-pop waywardness. The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's musicianship is clean and clear in the way that each song breathes with its own magic. Spring-like warmth sparkles throughout while windy threads of fall comfortably find their way into the cracks of the heart that is I Bet You Say That to All the Boys. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi