Hailing from Dundee, Scotland (land of The Average White Band) this band's members are young; ambitious and quite talented. Thier debut album, Hats Off To The Buskers, manages to be refreshingly fun and energetic while at the same time sending a message clear as day about where they're coming from. The View are the buskers, and our collective hats are off.

Thanks to The View and their phenomenal debut album, this American now knows what the British would call that guy who plays the guitar and the harmonica at the Delancey St. stop off the F line around my way. I appreciate that little lesson, along with the other droplets of surprising accidental wisdom sprinkled throughout Hats Off.

Penning catchy, quirky anthems on image with tracks like "Same Jeans", along with statements on the ambitious search for happiness through monetary security in "Superstar Tradesman" and infusing them with tunes that get you dancing, the members of The View run the gamut of thoughts and feelings on this album, but never bog you down in tiresome ‘reflections'. Lyrically, they are uniquely profound in the way they share the lives they live using the simplest language.

Perhaps it's because they're still in their teens that they manage to avoid coming off as preachy or full of themselves. They are as straightforward as kids their age tend to be; the songs they write tell you how they see it from their end. Strangely enough, you can relate. It's not hard to connect to the narratives of a group of ordinary young lads from Scotland while listening to "Gran's For Tea". You understand what's going on with the guy who is so tired of dealing with fake people that he longs for a simple cup of tea with his grandmother because you've been there, in some form or other. Maybe in a different land or time of life; but you've been there just the same.

The album comprises a mix of alternative rock, pop and ska that make for a great diversity in sound from track to track. While crooning on "Don't Tell Me" and "Skag Trendy" to name a couple, the lead singer sounds a tad like Pete Doherty. That's not a bad thing, unless he wants to avoid comparisons like the plague. In any case, it won't matter all that much because The View are their own band. They aren't duplicates of another, though their influences are clear in the music that they make. Hats Off To The Buskers is enjoyable from beginning to end. Effectively, The View no longer has anything to prove.

Check out the songs mentioned on their official Myspace page as well as info on purchasing the album and upcoming tour dates at http://www.theviewareonfire.com/.

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alxrehewoz   |2007-07-06 07:09:48 Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! vucfbtgcrcfb Reply 0   0

isitfriday   |2007-06-06 17:22:52 If you are a fan of The View, check out this great contest where you can win a trip to see the band live T In The Park! Enter here: http://www.columbiarecords.com/contest/theview/fly away/ Reply 0   0

Ben   |2007-03-05 15:20:33 THese guys aren't great yet- they've got a brilliant album and are superb live. Only time will tell just how good this band is, and right now they're on fire Reply 0   0

Lisa   |2007-02-15 13:18:38 These guys are great! I saw them live and they were just fantastic!!! [smiley=happy] Reply 0   0

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."