The Amblers’ Shallow Pools (Deluxe Edition) is an album that serves to showcase the duo’s versatility but at the cost of trying to be too many things all at once.
For the most part the album is pretty solid. The White Stripes-esque modern-day blues sound pulls you in with its familiarity without being obnoxiously derivative and instantly gives tracks like the ambling opener “Sticks and Stones”, and the sardonic ballad “Ratty Old Mo’”, a distinct and irresistible bite.
However, littered throughout are songs that feel distinctly out of place. Coming out of the minimalist strains of “Sticks and Stones”, the touch of grunge that defines “Keep Me Screamin’” breaks a flow that was going strong up to that point.
After that “Shallow Pools” breaks things up even more with its chugging folk inclination, leaving the ear feeling mired in a completely unrecognisable landscape. “Dustling Man”, thankfully, takes us back to the overall sound of the album for long enough to settle things down.
“Sixteen 100 Year Olds” mostly sticks to the electric-blues dynamic but is cluttered by a psych-tinge that makes the song feel messier than it needs to be – while the album’s closer “Just Get Me to Bed” has the overly-experimental bent of someone who hasn’t seen sleep in much too long.
There’s no denying that The Amblers know their way around music. The majority of Shallow Pools (Deluxe Edition) is a glittering example of modern-day blues done right but, alas, the songs I’ve highlighted chop things up too much and mar an otherwise perfectly good record.
Feature pic supplied by artist
