The Silencers - A Blues For Buddha (1988)

A Blues for Buddha was the second release for the quartet the Silencers. A Scottish folk-pop band that injects some traditional instrumentation into their work, the Silencers, like fellow Scottish bands the Proclaimers, Del Amitri, and Deacon Blue, are consistently melodic and occasionally breathtaking. The optimistic, horn-driven "The Real McCoy" (the "be do, do be do do, be do do" is infectious) and the surging, pop-savvy "Razorblades of Love" are examples of the latter. The title track is a bit heavy-handed (the similarly themed "Walk With the Night" works better), but even the weaker songs are still fairly enjoyable. It didn't matter as A Blues for Buddha met with a less-than-enthusiastic public response, although they did manage a minor radio hit with "Scottish Rain."~Blues for Buddha Review by Tom Demalon