Originally published on Panic Dots.

It comes as no surprise that Electric Honey – the label behind the release of French Wives debut album, >Dream Of The Inbetween – has also been responsible for releases from Belle & Sebastian and Biffy Clyro – as this is yet another band with a sound that only Scottish based musicians seem capable of creating. I don’t know what it is about it – perhaps it’s the understated strings, the slight lilt to the vocals, or the well-crafted lyrics that serve to paint a picture as opposed to attacking the psyche.

This album is timeless – it could have been created yesterday, or any decade from the 80s onwards. The band have found a sound that merges gorgeous vocals with a multitiered arrangement of melody that are so subtle, each new listen you’ll new phrase of violin, an unheard lick of guitar.

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Originally published on Panic Dots.

When I walk into the downstairs bar at the Old Blue Last I’m met by the usual Wednesday night crowd you’d find in any local up and down the country, so I order a pint, pull up a table and wait until it’s time to go upstairs. I’m not expecting it to be a busy night, but then I’ve not been here before so what do I know?
I can still hear the soundcheck drifting down the stairs, but I know better than to watch the first band set up – there’s nothing quite like it to ruin the illusion. I hang around downstairs, guarding my table from the huge surge of people that have just walked in through the Pub’s front door. Then, quick as a flash, they all disappear upstairs, and I desperately run after them, realising there’s a real chance I’m going to miss the start of the first band’s show.

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Originally published on Panic Dots.

I’d be lying if I said I’d managed to catch The Destroyers first album, Out Of Babel, and having heard their latest single – Hole In The Unviverse – I am infinitely grateful they’ve finally managed to pop up on my radar.

The band boast an impressive 15 piece line up that includes a full brass section, and (based on this single) create songs that sound like a collaboration between Tom Waits and Mr Bungle, with a heady dash of traveller punk thrown into the mix.

There’s an overwhelming sense of fun in the band’s music that can sometimes get lost when a band tries to introduce politics into their mix. Their lyrics, far from being your typical word furniture, seem to serve a higher purpose. While you could enjoy this single by skanking around like an idiot, if you take the time to sit down and actually listen, you’ll find that beat-poet and lead singer Paul Murphy actually has a lot to say about some of the issues that are affecting the world at large. It’s more rabble rousing than sermonising, so there’s no need to be scared.

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