Bears From Labrador - El Cantar De Mio Cid [EP]

  

Hero Rhymes With Zero

El Cantar De Mio Cid is the second part of a trilogy of EP’s from Bears From Labrador, following on from last year’s auspicious debut, Wilderness. The 12 tracks that make up the triplicate were all written during the same summer, which is certainly apparent from the first two thirds. The Mariachi trumpets from Wilderness reappear in “Me and Bella Starr” as do the TV show theme trumpets in “Love”. Aside from Mexico and Bacharach, similar influences still reside; Neil Young and The Eagles dominate “Cruel as the Wind”, whilst opening track “Chop it Down” is written like a true Raconteur.

It’s still an Englishman’s take on Americana then, but not quite as well interpreted as it was on Wilderness. “Love” sounds like Bears From Labrador trying to write like the track’s namesake, but they end up sounding far too middle of the road to have any association with Arthur Lee. “Chop it Down” serves as a decent, if unspectacular straight-ahead rock n roll opener, but it’s “Me and Bella Starr” and “Cruel as the Wind” that come closest to achieving the same standing as anything off Wilderness. “Me and Bella Starr” backs up my claim that Bears From Labrador should be introduced to Quentin Tarantino before he makes his next movie, and I suppose a comparison can be drawn between the two. After a promising start to a career, a drop in standards should be treated as a mere blip until proven otherwise. There’s nothing inglorious about that.

Track List:

1 Chop it Down
2 Me and Bella Starr
3 Love
4 Cruel as the Wind