Features Listen: Admiral Fallow - Tree Bursts In Snow

Admiral Fallow are about to release their second album 'Tree Bursts In Snow' next week via Nettwerk Music Group. Staying true to their Scottish roots, the LP was recorded in Glasgow's Chem 19 with Paul Savage (Mogwai, King Creosote) before being mastered by Greg Calbi (Bon Iver, The National, Battles) over in NYC. Listen to the ten-track effort exclusively below as well as enjoying a track by track guide from the band to boot.

1. Tree Bursts
The title track refers to the image of an artillerial shell hitting a tree and the damage it would cause. The song itself is written from the perspective of a young person who has been caught up in violence out with their control.

2. The Paper Trench
The lead single from the album. Harmony heavy with pounding drums and bass. It touches on the economic situation in the world today. Listen for the tree references at the end.

3. Guest Of The Government
A straight ahead pop song about the best bar in Glasgow and it's customers.

4. Beetle In The Box
I co-wrote this song with Jo Mango while we were running a songwriting workshop for young people. It is based on Wittgenstein's theory that everyones's mind is a box but because nobody can truly know what is inside someone's 'box' we'll never know how other people feel about certain things.

5. Old Fools
The lyric came from lots of different fragments of ideas collated over a couple of years and stuck together. This was also the case to an extent with the music with the interlude section near the end being taken from an older idea.

6. Isn't This World Enough??
A tongue-in-cheek take on the importance people put on 'higher power' belief systems. The repeated refrain is asking why people can't just be amazed by the natural things on this planet rather than attributing it all to a god or idol. It also has a Springsteen, gospel-like musical backdrop. It was inspired by the comedy stylings of Tim Minchin.

7. Brother
Written about my two younger brothers at a time when they seemed to be feeling a little lost in their lives. The riff calls to mind Broken Social Scene for me.

8. The Way You Were Raised
A song about the effects of excessive drinking on otherwise well natured people. It came about after a near run in I had with two large gentlemen on Glasgow's infamous Sauchiehall Street and heavily features the flute playing of Sarah Haye

9. Burn
Written on numerous train rides throughout central Scotland during the summertime it deals with the theme of regret. It is the most orchestral sounding song on the album with a string arrangement written by drummer Phil Hague and sweeping bass clarinet lines performed by Kevin Brolly.

10. Oh, Oscar
The bookend of 'Tree Bursts'. The song touches on the old cliche of 'be careful what you wish for: as the character singing it has achieved success but is now asking whether he wanted it after all. It was recorded with all of us in the same room in one take completely live.Admiral Fallow will release 'Tree Bursts In Snow' on 21st May 2012. Check here to pre-order the record now.