AMG Review of Oot & Aboot

Stewart Mason
All Music Guide

In theory, it seems Vancouver's irrepressibly goofy the Real McKenzies have set out to do for Scottish folk what the Pogues did for Irish folk: give a cheerful boot up the ol' arse. In reality, they sound closer to the ultra-gimmicky one-hit wonders Tenpole Tudor: three-chord bubblegum-punk that occasionally throws in a set of bagpipes or essays a traditional tune for color. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because the Real McKenzies deliver the goods with unpretentious charm and a refreshing sense of humor on Oot & Aboot. Sly, sassy songs like "Cross the Ocean" and "Shit Outta Luck" hit the same pleasure centers as the goofier songs on the mid-period Replacements songs ("Gary's Got a Boner" or "I Don't Know," for example). So it's not really all that folksy, except for the surprisingly trad closing instrumental, "Taylor Made," but it's fun.