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The Proclaimers

The Proclaimers

Restless Soul

(Persevere Records)

If you're not a fan, this rock pop duo's name should ring a bell for their catchy hits - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and Letter to America - both sung with heavily accented Scottish vocals.

Britain has a soft spot for the geeky-looking twins Craig and Charlie Reid, but they've always been something of a novelty act.

Restless Soul, only their sixth release in 18 years, is a solid, if somewhat over-polished return.

As ever, emotions are to the fore and He Just Can't is one of the strongest. It's a powerful lament about a failed relationship - a recurring theme here.

There's also some foot-stomping dirty blues-infused folk on Turning Away and the more-optimistic-than-most harmonica-drenched ballad Bound for Your Love.

The wistful title track best displays the duo's strengths, with its swirling 1960s keyboard-led harmony and the meaty instrumental and scat interlude.

Lyrically, their tongues are often firmly in cheek when it comes to relationship songs, such as on What I Saw in You. On The One Who Loves You Now the Reids note: 'Love you called the old sow ...[is]/ Looking 10 years younger/ Than the one who loves you now.'

The lads have been busy on the summer festival circuit and the anti-war song D.I.Y., included here, was a real crowd-pleaser wherever it was played.

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