Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
In a world that values the instant gratification and the glories of the vanity inspired, is it possible to even extol the virtues of philosophy and to an extent that of permanent friendship in the same breath as those opinions held of the latest gossip and casual acquaintances to which we have become emboldened by in a the land of social media and the quick fix of gratitude of jam yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Bread And Jam, a staple served with the pleasure of the sweet blazing away in the senses, and one to which the Roots of Americana can be found in the passionate release of La-Llamas; a release that harks back to a time of honest endeavour and not one driven by the instantaneous or the likes of a daily basis.
For Davy Cattanach and Paddy Buchanan, Bread And Jam is the culmination of a bond forged over the course of a few years performing and playing together, a remarkable feat of personality thrown in for good effect and the point of listening intently to another’s point of view, a friendship binded by a philosophy of spirit. Bread And Jam, a combination of the stoic and the smoothly spread, of the even crust and the debate over the preserve, in this case the preserving of musical knowledge to which the album keenly adds its significant weight to.
Written, recorded and produced by the band, the album is one to which the serenade can be found nestling within its beating heart, a love, as well as an attitude to which bears down on the listener and opens up a belief of acceptance of its own. And across tracks such as Gabriel, Been Away Some Time, Do You Need Jesus? The Big Picture and Glimpses, La-Llamas don’t just chew down on the bread of life, they understand that in order to feel spiritually full, you must also swallow the pride and remain humble in the way you conduct yourself.
There is no menace greater than the self-serving platitudes, for La-Llamas, their demeanour sees them stride the stage with purpose and bearing, a set of songs that have obviously been cared for and worked upon with industry; deserving of the Bread And Jam they have come to serve to the listener.
La-Llamas release Bread And Jam on February 7th.
Ian D. Hall