Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Scotland's Solomon's Folly, otherwise known as John, Matthew, Duncan and Jennifer McColl, are still very young and as evidenced here, still locating a coherent stylistic niche. But having said that, there's much to be impressed with on 'Tried And Tested'. The guitar work, like on the epic seven minute "Ps 19", is first class while the punk-tinged "Freed Indeed" and "End Of Time" are fun. Also, the Big Country-sounding "Church Of The Age" has its moments (though that and "Spiritual Warfare" were previously released as a single). What Solomon's Folly clearly need though is a producer to strip them of their occasional lapses into musical cliché and ensure that vocalist (John?) stops peppering the songs with decidedly questionably pitching. A band still developing. If you've been touched by the tremendous work this band are doing in Scotland you will want to support this effort. Others are advised to wait until a producer irons out the rough spots.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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