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The Saw Doctors are a folksy-tinged rock group from the town of Tuam in Galway on the west coast of Ireland. The band burst onto the Irish music scene in 1990 when their single I useta lover' became a smash hit, spending nine weeks at number one.

Same oul' town' was their third studio album and was released in 1996. With their first two albums having firmly established their presence, in Ireland and further a field, there was pressure to come up with the goods again.

It's a challenge that I think the band succeeded in, although perhaps the album contains less obvious hit singles than the earlier albums.

The strength of The Saw Doctors has always been in an ability to make the local universal. So whilst the songs are framed against decidedly local settings and characters, the topics explored in them will be familiar to people no matter what their background is. Indeed, opening song All the one' is specifically about how we're all part of a global village now.

One of my favourite tracks on this album is the anthemic To win just once'. Anyone who supports a struggling sports team will feel empathy with this song. It's about the desire to have that day in the limelight. And although sporting terminology is used, it is of course also a theme that can extend beyond sport. How many of us have wished that we could win just once, whether it's winning the lottery, or having a story published, or getting a work promotion?

A second song that's worth highlighting is the extremely upbeat Macnas parade'. I think the Macnas parade must be a local celebration day in Tuam and/or Galway. You don't need to know anything about it, however, to enjoy the sentiments of the song. It's about seeing a pretty girl and having a mad crush on her! The tune is infectiously catchy with a chorus of I saw her in the Macnas parade / singing and dancing, as the drummers played / hopping and skipping, sure she made my day / I saw her in the Macnas parade'.

Macnas parade' and To win just once' are great fun uplifting songs but their beauty lies in their simplicity. This simplicity has been a criticism that has been thrown at The Saw Doctors. Detractors have said that their music is unsophisticated and that they are, in effect, just an Irish pub rock band transferred to stadiums. The Saw Doctors would be a great band to watch in a small cosy Irish bar but they are more than that. I share the darkness' showcases their ability to excel in song-writing and song arrangement. It includes beautiful

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