moimoi's wee world of scottish music

What's all this then??? I'm a big fan of Kings of Convenience. ...I see this album is on Spotify.

His version of Intuition (which I believe he co-wrote with Feist) is in my opinion, the superior version. 

Funny you should mention them, they're actually up next in an effort to balance my coverage across decades 😀

Chvrches - The Bones of What You Believe

Background: Chvrches (pronounced and written as "churches" and stylized as CHVRCHΞS) are a Scottish synth-pop band from Glasgow, formed in 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals, drums, additional synthesizers, samplers), Iain Cook (synthesizers, guitar, bass, vocals) and Martin Doherty (synthesizers, samplers, vocals). Before Chvrches, Iain Cook was a member of Aereogramme and The Unwinding Hours. He also wrote music for film and TV. Martin Doherty was a live member of The Twilight Sad.

Two years after their formation, Chvrches released Recover EP in March 2013, which included hits "The Mother We Share" and "Recover". Their debut studio album, The Bones of What You Believe, was released in September 2013, while the band was ranked fifth on the Sound of 2013 list by BBC. Two years later, the group released their second album, Every Open Eye.

Existing prejudices: I only heard of Chvrches when I started DJing and went back to reading Stereogum regularly in 2014. They were one of the buzz acts at Pitchfork that year, so I checked them out and liked them, though I still frequently confused them with A Sunny Day in Glasgow.

Track-by-track impressions

1. The Mother We Share - Well this is nice, although I cannot shake the feeling that I should be shopping while listening to this. The "OH-oh-OH-oh" affectation is particularly...millennial. Lauren Mayberry's baby voice teeters between Harriet Wheeler charming and Halsey irritating and as a DJ, the presence of random curse words is most irksome.

2. We Sink - The cut up backing vocal reminds me of Cornelius, which is a good reference point for any electronic artist. There is a very strong Vince Clark synth line here. I could 100% see Andy Bell singing this. 

3. Gun - The lyrics are a little weak here, but the hook is great, with a strong bassline and twisting, fluttering synths. It does strike me as a touch overwritten, though, which may become a theme...

4. Tether - The guitars indicate that we've entered 80s ballad territory, and the first half gives me a Martika "Toy Soldiers" feel, but then for some reason they stick in a 4/4 beat. Actually, I know the reason: when kids come to dance at their shows, this is where they get to take a breather, but not enough to leave the floor. I'm just picturing the teenage girls with their hands raised and singing "I feel incapable of, seeing the end..." And at the end, it sounds like M83 is playing in the background.

5. Lies - I guess they're going for a heavier, Depeche Mode sound. This one doesn't interest me until the dubby bit in the middle, when I was hoping it would go in a more unexpected direction.

6. Under The Tide - I like the way this one builds, but have to say, these crystal unicorn magic sounds are getting kind of repetitive. At least they've changed things up with the male vocalist.

7. Recover - This one begins rather abruptly, like I just clicked on a PC music clip on YouTube. Ugh, it even has trap claps (you know what I'm talking about). Not a favorite.

8. Night Sky - The steel drums are novel and the drum programming that pokes in during the second verse is intriguing. It sounds like a Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam song is trying to break out of a synth ballad. I want to hear that Lisa Lisa song. I also want to hear a full-length version of the slow, experimental track that emerges at the end - if for no other reason than a change of pace. 

9. Science/Visions - I like the eurodisco opening and this one goes a little darker, I guess, with gated reverb percussion and dramatic clatter. Unfortunately, the effect is somewhat like a chipmunk fronting Depeche Mode.

10. Lungs - I like the phatter sound to this track: bigger beats, heavier synths, and overdubs. This should have been their second single.  

11. By The Throat - As much as I enjoy this, I have to wonder why every goddamn band sounds like this now: Passion Pit, Ra Ra Riot, Grouplove, Miami Horror, and all the dance pop duos being spawned worldwide on the hour. Finding it very hard to take any of this seriously - especially with those damn trap claps.

12. You Caught The Light - They've gone full M83 on this. It's more restrained than anything else on the album and it's quite good - I wish they did more in this vein.

General thoughts: Despite being a longtime fan of the synthpop genre, I realize that I am not the target audience for this band. For one thing, I'm too old: I don't feel the sit-in-your-bedroom-listening-on-repeat urgency that I used to for New Order and Depeche Mode. I'm also too jaded: I only got into DM once they embraced S&M and proto-industrial noise. Still, I appreciate what they're doing. Given Scotland's surly reputation, it's a bit of counter-programming in the tradition of my own dear Belle & Sebastian. Still, I'll probably stick to Crystal Castles.  

How good is it? It's good for what it is. 

How Scottish is it? It's this Scottish Fold kitten.

I like The Bones of What You Believe quite a bit, but I definitely get that it's not going to be everyone's favorite synthpop thing.  I'm glad to see that someone else thinks very highly of "Lungs", though.  That's one of my favorite songs off the albums, and I'm also a bit puzzled as to why it wasn't a single.  As for Crystal Castles, I'd usually much rather listen to their debut than this, but they've fallen off pretty drastically in quality since then.  

Also, yay for Scottish folds.

It's the double time repeating snare (?) pattern that starts at 1:10 in Recover. To me it sounds like mechanized clapping, but it's probably just some kind of drum machine setting. It is very much overused in trap remixes prior to dropping the beat. 

Skids - Days in Europa - as suggested by Dellarig

Background: Skids are a Scottish punk rock and new wave band, formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1977 by Stuart Adamson (guitar, keyboards, percussion and backing vocals), William Simpson (bass guitar and backing vocals), Thomas Kellichan (drums, replaced by Rusty Egan on Days of Europa) and Richard Jobson (vocals, guitar and keyboards). Their biggest success was the 1979 single "Into the Valley" and the 1980 album The Absolute Game.
Days in Europa, their second album, was released in 1979. The album features lyrical references to World War I and World War II, and was initially released with an Aryan album cover reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics, complete with Germanic Gothic-style lettering. The album was re-released the following year with a new cover, new track listing, and some remixing of the original songs, allegedly for the US market. Some of the original tracks resurfaced on later albums. Days in Europa has received a generally mixed response from critics. Ira Robbins of Trouser Press wrote "In polishing and refining the band's sound even a little, [producer Bill Nelson] smoothed off the vital edge."

Existing prejudices: I know a couple Skids songs from my explorations of UK postpunk. "The Saints Are Coming" is a particular favorite, which I recently played on my radio show.

Track by Track Impressions

1. Animation - Hmm. I don't know about this as a first track. It just kind of starts, with some strummed power chords and oddly placed drum effects. The tempo is "Anarchy in the UK" and the backing vocals sound like the Clash, but it just kind of shuffles along without hitting a groove I can get into.

2. Charade - This is more like it. Uptempo with a two-tone ska feel. It also kind of reminds me of the Damned. I bet this one sounds great live.

3. Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori) - This takes an interesting turn: from a light, nimble skank reminiscent of the Police and a chorus Mick Jones might envy straight into Big Country, with pastoral flutes and martial drumming. I think this would have made a better album opener, if it's any indication of what's to come.

4. The Olympian - Another fun chorus and impressive guitar riffage, which makes me wonder if I should review the Fratellis next, even though I don't have to (since I'm a week behind, I may have to chuck something from the schedule, and since Montypark is no longer with us, I figure he wouldn't mind). The drummer is on a rampage, in a good way. 

5. Home of the Saved - I approve of these space keyboard effects and the decision to slow things down at this point, but
this one is kind of boring. 

6. Working for the Yankee Dollar - This has the exuberance that those of us who are sentimental about the 80s miss (and what 80s revivalists will never be able to capture). It sounds a bit overworked at the beginning, but then hits you with a big, fun new wave chorus to rival contemporaries like Madness, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Haircut 100, et al. 

7. Thanatos - I really dig the touches of squealing guitar on this one and the repetition in the chorus. It shows ingenuity and a willingness to play around with punk song structure. 

8. Masquerade - I think the repetition in the chorus is less successful here, because it's the only thing I remember about the song. 

9. A Day in Europa - Another upbeat one, equal parts Clash and Haircut 100. I wonder if this was a single, since there aren't many other candidates on this album. 

10. Peaceful Times - Experimental. I like it...quite a lot. It's almost as weird as that first Simple Minds album. Big Audio Dynamite and Animal Collective (strangely) also come to mind.  

General impressions:
Bands that straddle the transition from punk to new wave fascinate me, because they all had to pick a strategy to adapt and virtually none of the big names continued to do what they first became known for. We know Adamson went in a rather different direction with Big Country, but this sketches out some other possibilities with which other bands found success. It's not a very consistent album, but there's a lot of good stuff here. 

How good is it? Mostly good. 

How Scottish is it? Not explicitly Scottish, but Celtic in inspiration, much like this guy:

Primal Scream - Screamadelica

Background: Screamadelica is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock group Primal Scream, released in 1991 in the UK by Creation Records and in North America by Sire Records. It was the group's first album to be a commercial success, peaking at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart upon its initial release. The album received positive reviews and has been frequently named one of the best albums of the 1990s in critics' polls. Screamadelica also won the first Mercury Music Prize in 1992. It has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Screamadelica was among ten album covers chosen by the Royal Mail for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued in 2010.

The album was a significant departure from the band's early indie rock sound, drawing inspiration from the house music scene (and associated drugs) that was becoming popular at the time of its production. The band enlisted house DJs Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley on producing duties, although the album also contains a wide range of other influences including gospel and dub, as well as Pet Sounds. The single "Movin' on Up" was the band's breakthrough hit in the United States, reaching number 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and also making number 28 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Although the band wrote a track also called Screamadelica, it does not appear on the album. Notable samples:

• "Movin' on Up" contains an interpolation of "Yoo Doo Right" by Can.
  
• "Slip Inside this House" is a cover of "Slip Inside this House" by 13th Floor Elevators, and contains samples of "Sex Machine" by Sly and the Family Stone, and the Amen break.
  
• "Don't Fight It, Feel It", contains an interpolation from "(I'm a) Road Runner" by Holland–Dozier–Holland.
  
• "Higher Than the Sun" contains samples of "Wah Wah Man" by Young-Holt Unlimited, and "Get Away Jordan" by Take 6.
  
• "Inner Flight" contains samples of "The Great Pretender" by Brian Eno, "Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya" by Dr. John, and "Whoa Buck" by Alan Lomax.
  
• "Come Together" contains an interpolation of "The Dub Station" by Tommy McCook and the Aggrovators. UK versions contain a sample of a speech given by Jesse Jackson, while US versions contain dialogue from the film Sex, Lies and Videotape.
  
• "Loaded" contains samples from "What I Am" by Edie Brickell, "I Don't Want to Lose Your Love" by the Emotions, "I'm Losing More than I'll Ever Have (Remix)" by Primal Scream, and dialogue from the film The Wild Angels.

Existing prejudices: So in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a fascinating commingling of UK rock and US (particularly Chicago, Detroit, NYC) dance music. As a child in Chicago, I caught snippets of this, as B96 started playing New Order and M/A/R/R/S alongside Fast Eddie. Once I was old enough to get a CD player (first purchase: Depeche Mode Violator), I began to seek this music out and soon came across Primal Scream. They were one of many progenitors of the 'sampledelic' era, an era that sadly can never fully return, thanks to corporate greed. This album has two of my favorite songs of the era, "Loaded" and "Higher Than the Sun", which - if my radio audience is any indication - stand the test of time beautifully. I'm sad to report that since the bulk of my career has been in the civil service, I've never experienced this or any other album under the influence of psychotropic drugs, though I aspire to once some of my responsibilities of adulthood are lifted. 

Track by Track Impressions

1. Movin' On Up - The bongos and tambourine establish a hippie/glam T.Rex feel, with a bit of "Sympathy for the Devil" in the guitars and piano groove. The flamboyant vocal stylings of Bobby Gillespie remind me of Mick Jagger without his hard-on for the blues, though we do get a gospel choir as backup. Plus there's that subliminal thump of an 808 in the background. Pretty hard to dislike this as an opener. Good vibes all around.  

2. Slip Inside This House - Was DJ Shadow a member of Primal Scream? What about Tom & Ed Chemical? It's interesting that they plunged straight into the electronica from the second track. I'm guessing this is where most listeners decide whether or not they're on the groovy train. I for one, am definitely on board, though the song itself gets a little buried here under the layered beats and samples. They will achieve better balance on later tracks on this album...  

3. Don't Fight It, Feel It - Next we get an acid house homage, right down to the title, which mirrors Mr. Fingers "Can You Feel It?" 

4. Higher Than the Sun - One of my favorite PS songs and favorite songs of this era. Here, we get a nice balance: it's dubby and beat heavy with lots of atmospherics, but it also has a recognizable tune you can hum. Some may not like the croaking effects, but personally, I'm a fan, from New Order's froggy breakdown in "The Perfect Kiss" to Ginuwine's "Pony". 

5. Inner Flight - Instrumental loveliness, with a dreamlike, roller-rink vibe. I'm surprised I haven't heard this in more soundtracks.

6. Come Together -  I'm listening to the Jesse Jackson version, though I'm more familiar with the American version. The beats are massive and the scope is epic. My only issue is placing a largely instrumental track after another instrumental... 

7. Loaded - And here we have another (mostly) instrumental. I suppose Loaded is kind of a continuation of "Come Together", coalescing around a shuffling beat that I always associate with Soul II Soul producer (and founding member of Massive Attack) Nellee Hooper. There's just something triumphant about this song. The chunky guitar riff halfway through is such a great, unexpected touch. Although there are lots of familiar elements to this music, it's the unexpected touches that elevate it from 'boring' electronica. It's not just one continuous groove - you really don't know what you're going to hear next. 

8. Damaged - Though I feel it should have come between tracks 5 & 6, I welcome this straight-ahead acoustic, dreamy ballad. At this point, it's been a while since we've heard Gillespie's vocals, and he does a fine job here. One thing that never occurred to me until this listen is certain similarities to Billy Corgan. Now I'm speculating on which Primal Scream songs could be covered by Smashing Pumpkins and vice versa. I recently went through a similar exercise when noting the similarities between Damon Albarn's higher register and Gruff Rhys while listening to "Superfast Jellyfish". 

9. I'm Comin' Down - This sounds like Jesus & Mary Chain without the fuzz, and with a cool free jazz saxophone. These are the unexpected touches that I love. The touches of dissonance also remind me a bit of the Velvet Underground, given the subject matter. Underrated, this one. 

10. Higher Than the Sun (A Dub Symphony in Two Parts)" - My one complaint with this album is that it leaves me wanting more, which I guess bodes well for further explorations into the PS catalog. Still, I'm not sure I needed another 7 minutes of deconstructed "Higher Than the Sun". This really should have been a B-side, not an album cut.

11. Shine Like Stars - Another delicate, dreamy number with unexpected instrumentation. Here we get either an accordion or a concertina, depending on which way the buttons are facing, apparently.

General impressions:
Yup, it's a classic. A treasure, really. To call it a rock album would be a bit of a misnomer, though. 

How good is it? It's twisting my melon, man. 

How Scottish is it? Anyone could easily mistake this for 'Madchester', so not so much. I'm making this one a shirtless Andy Murray due to its excellence.

 Aww yeaah!

Relistening to it after quite some time, I was also impressed by the variegation and unpredictability within and between the tracks.

"Moving On Up" with gospel choir employed is the first song I recall when I come upon references to the album. I also particulary enjoy the following three tracks and "I'm Coming Down." I don't mind the croaking effects on "Higher Than the Sun" nor, I'm sure "The Perfect Kiss" (I don't actually remember despite listening to this song many, many times). I definitely don't care for Ginuwine's use of them!

"Damaged" I don't care for myself.  I find it maudlin and insincere, but I don't urge that view to anyone else; it's just how it strikes me.

The saxophone on "I'm Coming Down" and the, I believe, sitar on "Slip Inside This House" are a couple of favourite features.

As to Andy Murray's charms, I'm immune, though not entirely so to fold kitten's.

Will this series be including Biffy Clyro at any point?

I'm way off schedule so maybe? Probably. 

Fair enough - it's a tough sell in many respects. They're definitely wallowing in all the cliches they love, there's a lack of discipline smeared all over it (a 45 minute album would be much, much stronger - drop Free, just go with the Struttin' version of Get Funky, drop the final track), Gillespie's voice doesn't quite have enough snap to it, and while I prefer this type of music to the dancey stuff on Screamadelica, Screamadelica is still the better album by far. I enjoy this a lot, though.

The drums on Rocks are borrowed from Dance To The Music by Sly and the Family Stone, though I don't know if they've been sampled or if they're just copying them. I suspect much else has been borrowed, but that's the most blatant.

Now, about this embarrassment over English bands playing the blues ...

Thank you for the kind encouragement!

You are right about Rod Stewart. That's too harsh a rating. I rescind it and grant the album a rating of Rod Stewart rocking some amazing spandex

 

Another splendid review meriting a wide readership. You ought to apply for music critic to some publication worthy of your talents.