| Like Comedy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 May 2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:01 | |||
| Label | Cooking Vinyl | |||
| Producer | Steve Evans | |||
| The Proclaimers chronology | ||||
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Like Comedy is the ninth studio album from Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers, released in 2012 on Cooking Vinyl. The album reached number 31 on the UK charts. The album's first single was "Spinning Around in the Air", which reached No. 17 on the UK Indie Singles Chart.
Content and style
Musical style
Like Comedy has been categorised as a blue-eyed soul album, stylistically.[1] The Scotsman described the record as "consistent collection of unvarnished Celtic soul".[2] The song "Thought Of You" was described by AllMusic's James Monger as "rocking" and "radio-ready", while "After You're Gone" was described as the "bruised, yet still hopeful" sister ballad to the duo's 1988 hit "Sunshine on Leith".[3]
Lyrics and themes
Lyrics on Like Comedy dealt chiefly with themes of love and relationships, as well as those of ageing, language and belief systems.[2] The Scotsman described the songwriting on the album as "thoughtful and witty".[2]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
| Daily Express | |
| The Independent | |
| Mojo | |
| The Scotsman | |
| Uncut | |
Like Comedy received an aggregate score from Metacritic of 71/100, suggesting "generally favorable reviews", based on 6 critics.[4] In a review by Andy Gill, The Independent professed the album to feature "their ebullient charm in large dollops" and described the song "Whatever You've Got" to share "the rolling, singalong appeal" of the duo's previous hits.[5]
Describing Like Comedy, Irish Independent opined that the blue-eyed soul of the band "still shines bright, especially on the tender ballads".[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Craig and Charlie Reid
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whatever You've Got" | 3:11 |
| 2. | "Simple Things" | 2:22 |
| 3. | "Spinning Around in the Air" | 3:09 |
| 4. | "After You're Gone" | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Women and Wine" | 2:24 |
| 6. | "There's" | 3:09 |
| 7. | "The Thought of You" | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Like Comedy" | 3:23 |
| 9. | "Dance with Me" | 2:54 |
| 10. | "Wherever You Roam" | 3:38 |
| 11. | "I Think That's What I Believe" | 2:15 |
| 12. | "A Mix" | 2:48 |
| Total length: | 36:01 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Active Imagination" | 3:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Makes You Cry?" | 3:18 | |
| 2. | "Then I Met You" | 4:08 | |
| 3. | "Should Have Been Loved" | 3:22 | |
| 4. | "Sunshine on Leith" | 6:12 | |
| 5. | "My Old Friend the Blues" | Steve Earle | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 20:15 | ||
Personnel
- The Proclaimers
- Craig Reid – vocals
- Charlie Reid – acoustic guitar and vocals
- Additional musicians
- Jerry Crozier Cole – acoustic and electric guitars
- Steve Evans – electric and bass guitars, piano and drums
- Clive Jenner – drums
- Beth Porter – cello
- Katie Stone Lonergan – violin
- Zac Ware – mandolin
- David Macnab – banjo
- Conor Breen – double bass
- Production
- Steve Evans – producer, string arrangements and additional programming
- Tom Dalgety – additional programming
- Lewis MacDonald – cover design
References
- 1 2 3 Kelly, N. "Twin Peaks: The Proclaimers Wig Out". Independent Ireland. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 "Still Game: The Proclaimers at 50". The Scotsman. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "The Proclaimers - Like Comedy". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ↑ "Like Comedy by The Proclaimers". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ↑ Gill, Andy (5 May 2012). "Album: The Proclaimers, Like Comedy (Cooking Vinyl)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2020.