Gig review: The Milk Carton Kids, Glasgow
The Milk Carton Kids
Oran Mor, Glasgow
* * * *
This Los Angeles duo’s sound is as old as folk-pop itself: two soft voices blended in perfection along to the sound of deftly plucked and strummed vintage acoustic guitars.
Indeed, “deftly” hardly does justice to Kenneth Pattengale’s fleet-fingered playing. He deserves extra kudos for good-naturedly enduring various cheeky ribbings from his bandmate, on everything from the superfluous punctuation in the title of his song Honey, Honey to him writing a tune, the handsome Charlie, for a would-be daughter whose mother he’s yet to find. Ryan and Pattengale have knocked out three albums since meeting in 2011, up to this year’s The Ash & Clay. There’s lots to love about a twosome who imbue their music with such warmth – surely no one failed to be warmed by the bittersweet Michigan?
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Hide AdThings got serious come the encore, the highlight of which, Memphis, with its refrain “Graceland is a ghost town tonight” entreats music lovers to quit living in the museum past and make new heroes. A noble sentiment, whether this duo rise to the challenge or not.
Malcolm Jack