What is it about Scottish bands and harmony-pop? It's probably too easy to say that Cosmic Rough Riders are what you would end up with if you took a few slices of Teenage Fanclub and stirred in some essence of Travis - but it's true.

Like the aforementioned, the Cosmics are suckers for a big barrage of guitars, some chiming high overhead while others do the growly engine-room parts, papered over with winsome layers of vocal harmonies. It only takes an earful of the single, Because You, to get the full picture.

But tunefulness and a nifty studio engineering job can only take you so far, and the Cosmics suffer from some fundamental structural problems. The songs just aren't distinctive enough, so you have a job distinguish-ing Life in Wartime from Kill the Time. Also, Stephen Fleming's voice is too pallid and anonymous to carry the weight of being lead vocalist. He writes most of the material too, so maybe it's time for a bit of power-sharing.