What is there to say about CS Buchan that hasn't already been written? Well quite a lot in my opinion, I'd go so far as to say CS Buchan is criminally undervalued! But that might be about to change with the release of his new double whammy of an album 'Where Have All My Friends Gone Volume 1 & 2'. I was slightly taken aback by the albums announcement in December as the last time I'd spoken to Charley about music he seemed to be out of love with the idea of making another record and there was no chance of him doing a short live set at our studio. For all intents and purposes it seemed like Charley was walking away from it all, both his solo work and his other musical project Best Girl Athlete.
Fast forward 12 months and strange rumours began circulating about new music and some rather interesting videos. Using the latest technology Charley was able to travel back in time to the golden age of the 70's where he featured in a slew of public safety and child safety videos. Thanks to this brief stint in the 70's CS Buchan was able to make his fortune before travelling back to modern day Aberdeenshire, just in time to release his new album with new single 'Going Down Together'. The video was produced by Doric wonderboy Andrew Davidson who's responsible for unearthing a treasure trove of North East footage via the 'Fraserburgh on Film' project. Returning a man out of time, Charley had initially been struggling to get to grips with new trends like boys in skinny jeans instead of large bell bottoms and not a single platform in sight! But despite his longing for the bygone 'Where Have All My Friends Gone Volume 1' quickly throws of the heavy nostalgia and opts to bring the CS Buchan sound bang up to date for the 21st century.
Previous albums have revelled in their retro chic, the folk tinged ballads of 'Material Others' felt like something straight off a lost Beatles album, it's still one of my favourite albums both for its musicality and Charley's incredibly honest lyrics. Follow up 'CS Buchan & Friends' also flirted with the nostalgic, its cover being a throw back to the 'Torry Quine' June Imrays famous 1976 album cover. Where Material Others saw Charley stripped down the next album saw Charley step back from the mic to instead focus on the music supported by a strong cast of Scottish musicians. Vocal duties were shared with friends like Mike Chang & Steven Milne along with friends from further afield. To fully appreciate it though you should purchase a copy on vinyl from the Fit Like Records bandcamp.
With Volume 1 I found a slightly more upbeat sound than expected. It's not that previous music is downbeat but there's slightly less pouring over past mistakes and a bit more forward looking star gazing. The country tinged 'Fly Like Snow' is a gentle reminder that Winter can be a beautiful time while 'Take Your Time' feels like peak CS Buchan, a slice of chugging Scottish folk pop. Tracks like 'A Rat Race Is For Rats' are simply weird but in a good way as the teachers voice cries out the chorus. And only Charley could follow up the delicate 'Softly, Softly' with a song titled 'Nobody Tosses A Dwarf'. Obviously a lot has happened between him throwing off music all together and coming back with this bountiful double album and Charley's vocals take centre stage, a sign of perhaps a renewed confidence and vigour.
Volume 1 leaves us in no doubt about the country influences on Charley's music, especially evident when you see the album artwork but any notions of a Scottish country barn burner are turned on their head with the funky riffs of Volume 2 opener 'Pictures of Islands'. I think you could throw in some early 90's R&B and indie disco refences as well which are somehow crafted around Buchans delicate tones. It's not an album without its collaborators and Best Girl Athlete's distinctive vocals can be heard on a few tracks along with arrangements from long time collaborator Pete Harvey and Leeds based funk and soul band, The Haggis Horns.
'Never Look A Horse In The Eye' provides a clear line of sight to influences like The Beta Band although filtered through a cowboy ranch while 'Late Night Piano Torture' feels fresh and exciting as Charley revels in all the things that make him so special. Indeed Volume 2 feels like it takes all the lessons learned in Volume 1 and clearly defines the progression of CS Buchan from a local hero to an artist who deserves to be heard around the world. Although he came pretty close with the last Best Girl Athlete album, I think 'Where Have All My Friends Gone Volume 2' could be in the running for a coveted SAY award. It certainly gets my vote.
It's crazy to think of all the challenges that 2020 presented and yet somehow Charley managed to record not 1 but 2 albums of new music and there's hardly a duff note on either. I rarely bother to do album reviews because I just think you have to listen and make your own mind up. But the problem is how do you get people to even listen as we seem to be stuck in the afore mentioned 'rat race'. I guess you have to give yourself time, time to sit still, to plug in some good speakers and to see if the music speaks to you. Certainly if you're reading this then I implore you to have a listen. Closing track 'Let It Happen' is the perfect anecdote for what I'm trying to say, once you let Charleys music in, its hard to get it out again. And that's a good thing, maybe even a great thing as we face more challenges in 2021.
'Where Have All My Friends Gone Volume 1 & 2' are available via the Fit Like Records bandcamp and you can stream them both below. I'm proud of Charley, he is truly more than just a local musician, he's my hero!
