Review of '123456789 songs' - Scotland on Sunday - November 2000

Pop

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COLIN SOMERVILLE

Fran Schoppler: 123456789

Fran Schoppler

In the Scottish jangly roll of honour, Fran was a member of Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes, whose ‘When The Rain Fell Down’ is one of the great climate-related singles of recent times.

Since the band’s demise in the early Nineties, she has composed soundtracks to four short films and continued to write her own songs, nine of which are featured here.

The joyous naivety of Desperadoes’ material is replaced by a depth in Schoppler’s voice which in no way diminishes its seductive qualities.

This is a pleasing union of old and new Scottish indie, with potential to transcend such pigeon-holing.

***1/2