www.yo-shot.com

"This is what music is meant to sound like. There is a new wave of music and I'll be damned if they're not part of it. Their music triggers off old memories of times in your life when you've been most happy, and I reckon it's about time music was fun to listen to again. The female lead singer with her heavenly harmonies, and music from some of the best musicians around, Shot Organisation can see the this band is hard working and professional. With their mellow rock that soothes even the hardest disposition and inspiring lyrics to mach, this professional music poetry can not go unseen or unheard, Scout is a talent not to be missed."

www.therandomain.com

Scout - History and Radio

"Their debut album brings an eclectic blend of styles to the surface The long awaited album from local band Scout. If their previous demos are anything to go by, then this album is sure to be very good.

Here is a local band oozing talent, which is a rare commodity in this era. They are really onto a winner here - cross powerful female vocals (they are definately what make this band stand out most) with funky jazz guitar and a rhythm section tighter than Michael Jacksons pants and you get Scout. Their songwriting is definitely progressing. It just gets better and better.

Stand out tracks have definitely got to be Generator and Milkbomb, showing the band at their finest. If this album is promoted properly, expect them to be signed. They deserve to be!

Remember where you heard it first.(4/5)"

The Godfather

www.leedsmusicscene.co.uk

Scout - History and Radio

"Scout come blasting back with this 4 track EP with more funk Jamiroquai would be shaking in their boots. ... The band have got so much tighter both in their playing and songwriting and their sound has become more innovative. More jazz orientated compared to the pop rock of Blue Screen. Like their previous EPs it is the vocals which capture the attention straight away. Emma Crellin has such a powerful voice which is particularly suited to this kind of music, and thats what makes the band so unique. It is clearly evident there has been more time spent in terms of production on this cd than on previous outings by the band. The use of brass instruments, acoustic guitars and piano add nicely to the overall sound. They are a talented band, and they have a key element. A female vocalist who can actually sing, and sing good. Why aint there anymore of them around? 10/10"

Tony Pasquariello

www.music.reviews.btinternet.co.uk

Scout - Blue Screen (EP)

"Bored with today's music scene? Seeking stimulation, excitement? Look no further than this attention stealing EP by Lancaster based Scout which hooks us initially with 'Pistachio' a blend of almost neo-rockabilly and funk guitars merged perfectly with Emma Crellin's ambiguous vocal talent ranging from sweet bubble gum pitch to a punchy and powerful depth and strength which pulls this rebellious yet slick and polished sound together. 'Milkbomb' is slightly smoother, yet still a dance floor strut with tight and funky guitar riffs. Crellin's commanding vigour shines on this, catch if you can the virtually choir-like falsetto over an exciting middle eight and marvel in awe at the sophistication of this relatively young, yet innovative band. A sharp drum intro and we are treated to a live recording of 'Honeybee' ,this is the tuneful chorus that defines this EP.A rabble rouser that you will find yourself whistling over and over. This rich musical arrangement and Emma's guttural vocal demand this band become a constant presence. 'Enamoured' is a soft and charming ballad, a finger pointing at the versatility of this group. This gentle and easy on the ear melody is given a sense of mature confidence with Emma's wistful violin playing and highlights the production quality of this inspiring musical arrangement. An extra minute, a short, freestyle 'jam' is a bonus to this 4 track EP.A chaotic yet happy closing rant leaves us with that feeling when you've had a starter and are waiting for the main course. Bring on the album guys, we're waiting for you... "

Michaela Whitton

www.talentstar.biz

Scout - Blue Screen

"Emma Crellin's vocals are something unheard. Her sound is new and innovative. That's what the music industry is all about trying to create a new sound. Think about it do many singers sound the same? It is about creating an identity and that is what Scout do. They have their own sounding identity.

Pistachio (What does that mean?) is upbeat and a very lovable track. It's tempo change half way through the track is a perfect concept to the song as it goes into the finale.

Milkbomb shows off Emma's vocals to what they are and they are accompanied by some wicked melodies.

Honeybee, is a live recording, and it does show that the group have the ability to cut it live. I am going to question this decision to put a live recording on the CD. If it is intended to be a live recording it might have been an idea to include some crowd ambiance to give it this effect. However it does not match the quality production that the rest of the album features, which is understandable of a live track.

Enamoured (We are sure there is a Scout dictionary out there) is our favourite track and once again Emma is on top form. Slow, soft and mellow - a combination of it all. Such a rich vain of pace that makes this track so compelling. At times it is hair-raising and delivers so much quality that you cannot knock the track.

It is one of those albums that you can get out in five years time and it will still sound as good. It is rich in quality and almost emphatic.

To top it all of - its a fantastic demo CD presentation. So professional and smooth. The design et al cannot be faltered."

Adam Chetter

manchestermusic.co.uk

Roadhouse, Manchester - 22nd October 2001

"Scout are much more rounded and tighter, with a bag of tunes that very much tried and tested in the world of early nineties poppy, quirky indie. Irritating or chartbound ? Difficult to say. It's quite full on with twangs, acoustic flair and too much twee bouncing around for my liking. There's promise but maybe more inward thinking to add a bit more variety to their overall sound and vibe. Plenty of takers though with an obviously different opinion."

JA

manchestermusic.co.uk

Blue Screen

"Another bunch from Merseyside (we think) as the CD has been recorded there. With a twist of The Smiths meets Debbie Harry doing Bjork and some disjointed guitar work, It's hard to determine whether this is too twee or whether its just short of some firmer hooks. Maybe just the latter as its quite endearing stuff and just on the right path to avoid any accusations of cabaret - the voice is great, but just missing the right amount of evil twist."

North West Nigel

leedsmusicscene.co.uk

Blue Screen - Nov 2001

"Scout are summed up in one word. Impressive. Right from the packaging of the CD (which doesn't really count) to the sound of their material, which is likened to the earlier sounds of Blondie. Scout's vocalist Emma Crellin, has a very powerful voice which is the main feature of all the bands material.

Pistachio comes in with a guitar intro with the band bringing it to pace. This track is where I draw my comparison to Blondie due to the funky guitars and bass lines. The vocals on the track are quite reserved and the harmonies are very good too. At the end of the track it goes very soft, almost as is you are in a dream. A very good opener.

Milkbomb, starts off using a sample, and there is use of what sounds like a keyboard on this track too. A very powerful song with the bass and drums driving it along. The guitars on this track are basically playing distorted chords. This track follows the same soft quality at the end where it changes pace completely. A very good track.

The 3rd track is a live track from one of their gigs. Honeybee, features funky guitar lines of almost jazz quality. The vocals really compliment this song. I have never throughout this cd heard this singer put a note out of key. A very good track.

Enamoured, is played on acoustic guitar and brings a mellow feel to the end of the cd. The vocals again stand out the most on this track, both in melody and the use of harmony. Not as catchy as their earlier material but a good track all in all.

I think that they are a very talented band, and if this cd is something to go on, they will be signed before long and you should go and see them pretty soon. 9/10"

Tony Pasquariello

Listen.com

"Scout's AAA Folk Pop shines with her anti-gravity vocal harmonies. She writes songs that seem like pages torn from a diary. Her songs are comprised of brushes on the snare drum and an electric guitar that sounds a little like a muted Wurlitzer, panned hard left."

Eric S

Gig Review

Roadhouse, Manchester - 22nd October 2001

"Hi, we're Scout" said Emma, before setting off the cheap drum machine for the intro to Pistachio. Now THIS is what music should be - people who can actually play their instruments, a singer who actually, erm, sings, and a sense of their own ridiculousness.

This was the point where the night actually came alive - ok, there werent any power-chords on display, but who needs them when the music is THIS good?? Here we have 5 people who write their own material, play their own instruments, and actually sound good together - they know what all the other people in the band are doing, and can find the easiest way of getting where they want to go together. Add in a singer who not only refuses to take herself seriously, but actually has a decent voice, and you have the makings of a great band. All the old favourites were there (Pistachio, Milkbomb, Honeybee, Doppler), as well as some new stuff ("its a working title - called Meat Chop - we've got a food thing going!")

The entire set was a triumph - went down really well with the remnants of the crowd - and a few even bought some CD's afterwards - which can only be a good thing!!

Mad English Bloke

Ink Magazine

NoLoGos, Zanzibar, Liverpool - 16th April 2001

"Not only is it a tribute to the good people at NoLoGos (who, admittedly, are at least in half also the good people at Ink) that they’ve reached the milestone of their first birthday in an increasingly attraction-gorged city, but they deserve extra credit for having managed to take fourteen months getting there. On this special day, it’s only fair to raise a huge glass to the regular dj crew], who every four weeks pull of the difficult task of switching the Zanzibar from moshpit to dancefloor with aplomb, and skank that is familiar but funky enough to make even the most timid indiekid want to swoosh his (or her) skinny (or Lopezian) butt."

"Alarmingly, Scout have a fiddle player on stage. Even more alarmingly, she’s also the lead singer. And, for the final slap of the boot onto your face forever, she looks like Carol Decker gone Brookside. With another five misbegotten hairstyles and facial hair phenomena to consider, this looks set to be as much fun as sewing your eyes shut with a blunt needle. And, yes, back in the days when Woolworths would file records by genre, they’d be slipped under White Funk. Nevertheless – and I feel as if I should hail a taxi and prepare my departure to an exile of shame – Scout are glorious. They are lovely, smiley, happy people making a noise that older readers may be reminded of The Would Bes by. A pop experiment Fierce Panda would die for. Really.

And if liking a violin-driven white funk act wasn’t enough to mess with your sticky brain juice, you still have Disneyporn to come."

Simon Budgen

Melody Maker

Blue Screen

"Scout's blurb comes in the form of a summation of a gig they played last September at Camden's Dublin Castle. After futiley complaining about a) the lack of punters and b) the sound system, the author goes on to give a track-by-track account of the set, ending with the helpful endorsement: "Scout get my vote."

Describing the female-led five-piece as 'a meeting between Lone Justice and The Sundays' is fair enough as it goes. There is a certain Cardigan-y sweetness about Scout and the first song here, 'Pistachio', is a sunny number with a suitably kooky chorus and an interesting middle eight. Trouble is, our girl singer is far too fond of the old stage-school vocal style, which is better left there."

Holly Hernandes

Lancaster Guardian

They're Scout of This World - 1st June 2001

"Lancaster's hardest working band impressed yet again last week with an acoustic gig at Paddy Mulligan's. Five-piece guitar group Scout have tirelessly toured the pubs of Lancaster and beyond for some three years and, judging by the polished and professional performance at this most recent gig, could well be one to watch in the future.

Sounding like a funkier version of The Cardigans, or a modern blues band with pop sensibilities, Scout delivered a performance that was as shiny as a new pin. Using a tried and tested formula of clean, bright guitars, sweeping vocal lines, syncopated rhythms and constanrly shifting chordal patterns, the Scout set proved to be a great antidote to the particularly gloomy weather outside.

It should also be pointed out that, although it was an acoustic gig, Scout still packed quite a punch. Their lead singer Emma Crellin had a great, strong voice with an enviable range - and happily she refrained from doing that annoying high pitched shouty-shouty thing a la Justine from Elastica, that gives girl vocalists a bad name.

However, Scout's vocals shone at their brightest during the stunningly beautiful stretches of harmony between Emma and the band's other, equally competent vocalist - and bassist - Gavin Ions. The duo's powerful, rich vocals went hand in glove to create a pitch perfect sound that was, in places, breathtaking. The hush that descended over the audience during Scout's effortless cover of Nilson's 'Everybody's Talking' was a fitting tribute to this flawless pairing of voices. There were also some great examples of really intricate counterpoint melody which were, too, worthy of praise.

The crowd appeared to thoroughly enjoy the gig and seemed to warm to Scout as the show progressed. The band members, for their part, were a friendly bunch who seemed to genuinely appreciate the audience. There were a couple of moments where the set slipped into background music, but for the most part Scout were a force to be reckoned with.

A band best listened to on a balmy evening in your garden with your mates and a barbecue, Scout's funky jazz-infused style and uplifting melodies provide a perfect summer soundtrack."

Jennie Chapman

This is Local London

Sibling Picture

"Obviously it's my fault that I'm unobservant - this is a single: there's only three songs on it - but I must say I was disappointed when this CD came abruptly to an end after the third, writes Chris Smith

I even hit my CD player to get it to play the next track. Then looked at the track listing: enamoured, carbon sister, lobb. Only three. With a picture of a sprig of mint on the front, possibly. [It's an apple seedling - Horticulture Ed.]

So I'll make do and make compliments. The tracks all sound different, which is a good start on a single - especially when you're still trying to make your name, like Scout. They don't sound like different bands though, and you can listen to this one a few times over without getting bored. That's impressive from a just post-university band.

The A-side sounds like an A-side with the Sundays' confidence to pull off the bare acoustic guitar, and singer Emma Crellin's high, juicy harmonies (tell me none of the men in the band tried to get up there). Bit more optimistic than the Sundays though (oh, anything/there's a way), and gentler. I'm not saying they lack edge, though.

Tracks two and three sound like B-sides - rightly so - and are all petrol-driven guitars followed by dreamy bridges. The guitar solos are rocksy and chug satisfyingly, like annoyed people in traffic jams in the country. Maybe Lancaster does that to you.

I wanted them to pump the controlled vitriol of lobb into enamoured. I listened to the first track again to check if I'd missed it. I hadn't. I bet they could do that sort of thing though. Then I'll go out and find something else by Scout. Mmminty."

Chris Smith

Dublin Castle, Camden

Only a Scout Could Cope, 6th September 2000

"Camden Town's mainstay live venue is normally heaving by 8.30 in the evening. Something was quite clearly wrong. Had I had entered a funeral parlour by accident? The stench of death was certainly apparent but there was no mistaking it; this was the Dublin Castle. With a turnout that was reminiscent of serial murderer's wake, the venue was as empty as a tin of lager in an alcoholic's bedsit. London's live scene is as vibrant as it could possibly be on a football night. My nasal passages were not fooling me. Live music is a rotting corpse.

Like Baden-Powell's namesake creation, Scout cope well in an emergency. Having endured a six-hour journey down south, the Lancaster based band played to an audience of three people for half an hour. This is hardly a recipe for a good gig but the five-member group persevered. Lead Singer and Violinist Emma Crellin introduced the band and, taking in the stuffy yet empty club, summarised the situation brilliantly. "We're the opening act in a strange town". Scout then launched into "Honey Bee"; an acoustically charged medium tempo track that sounded like a late night meeting between Lone Justice and The Sundays. Despite the vocals being extremely low in the mix initially (why does the Dublin Castle even bother to have sound checks?), the band were able to merge melody and power with great ease. Dom Williams' Vox AC-30 fuelled Telecaster and Marcus Duffy's solid acoustic rhythm work made for a classic in your face guitar assault. Scout's rhythm section were classic in sound yet distinctive in delivery as well. Bassist Gavin Ions', from the outset, added a great deal of Macca-esque counterpoint to the mix whilst drummer Rob Daniels kept the foundation solid yet energetic. A drummer that every rock band would want but seldom gets.

All of the Scouts are accomplished musicians and performers but also have the discipline to allow for space and dynamics in their material. The synergy and mutual enjoyment on stage came across to the audience and Dublin Castle staff (who sadly outnumbered the punters). It was a welcome to see a band actually smiling on stage.

"Milk Bomb" featured Crellin's sinuous violin work and some truly quirky vocal harmonies with Ions in the middle eight. And, for the record, I like quirky. Especially when quirky is well done. Ions is one of those backing vocalists who sing better than most lead singers and his voice meshed perfectly with Crellin's multi-octave range.

With "Disposables", Scout departed from the campfire chords and into more eclectic territory with Williams' switching to a Guild Starfire and Duffy providing slinky rhythm guitar on his Gordon Smith double cutaway. With a funky middle eight, featuring harmonics that would make The Edge envious, the track reminded me of a hybrid between the Cowboy Junkies, 10,000 Maniacs and James Brown. Unique.

Crellin described "Enamoured" as the Scout's "lovely song" and she was not wrong. Featuring a delicious violin solo and atmospheric vibrato enriched guitar arpeggios, the track showcased Crellin's formidable Lancaster meets Louisiana delivery. It brought to mind "Martha's Harbour" in vibe yet was pure 'Scout'. If there were more people in audience, the local fire brigade would have been advised to be on guard for lighter misuse.

"Pistachio" featured a lo-fi keyboard drum machine pattern at the start and ended with Scout giving it some welly at the end. The band's dynamic awareness was particularly apparent on this number and showcased the more aggressive side of drummer Rob Daniels' playing. I always admire drummers who take chances on stage and Daniels' certainly played with fire at the end of this track and did so with a great deal of energy. Mr. Moon would be proud - especially with Scout's gig taking place on the eve of the anniversary of his death.

"Generator", Scout's closing number, was a power ballad that left me wanted to hear more. The other two people in the audience clearly felt the same way too. But where was the full capacity crowd that the group deserved? Watching the fucking football. The live scene is suffering from atrophy throughout the country at the moment but, if there is a group that deserves to give British ears some well needed physio - Scout get my vote."

Andy Duke

SCAN Lancaster University Student Newspaper

Yorkshire House 28th January 2000

"A recent review of Scout's demo CD claimed that Scout had 'money if nothing else'. Well, Melody Maker sorry to disappoint you, but Scout also have plenty of talent to go with it."

"Emma Crellin's powerful yet superbly controlled voice."

"...the amazingly catchy 'Honeybee' that left you walking home humming the tune."

"..cannot be far away from something bigger"

Jonathan Hudson

The Snout Yorkshire House

Octoberfest 1999

"Scout...show Sleeper, Echobelly and co. exactly where they went wrong."

"Immaculate guitar pop at its shiniest."

Unknown

Yorkshire House Website

"...neglecting to involve any such small elements of, oh say, wit, charm, warmth, poise, invective, passion, anger or articulacy."

"...hard pressed to be any worse"

TT Boy

SCAN Lancaster University Student Newspaper

"[Scout's] live gigs are naturally the best indication of the band's popularity. They watch each other closely and produce a funky magnificence which is all their own. Then Emma begins to sing..."

"Her angelic tones taking the sound to a completely new level, illustrating a range and control rarely displayed by the most professional of singers."

"What is certain is that they are a force to be reckoned with, receiving great acclaim wherever they play and gaining confidence and power with each performance."

Jayne Randall