There are two fantastic new releases out this week from Scottish artists. One is Belle and Sebastian Write About Love by, unsurprisingly, Belle and Sebastian which I previewed recently (see Write About Love, Right About Now…), and reviews of it can be found all over the place, from Uncut and Q to The New Statesmen and probably Machine Knitting Monthly. I was going to write one here but after playing it I thought; it’s Belle and Sebastian and it’s as strong a collection of their songs as there has been. So if you like B&S then you’ll love Write About Love and will probably already own it, and if you don’t then I doubt anything I’ll write here is going to change that.
But, so far, it’s not my favourite release of the week. I find most Belle and Sebastian albums are pleasing on first and second listen, but after a few weeks you realise it has become the soundtrack to your life. They make music that you fall in love with, but at the moment we’re at the dating stage, and I’m excited about how things will unfold. The music that has actually guided me to and fro through Glasgow in the last few days, and which was love at first listen, comes from I Build Collapsible Mountains, the unwieldy name of Luke Joyce’s solo project. I Build Collapsible Mountains’ debut is A Month of Lost Memories and since I got my hands on a copy it’s been the first thing I listen to as I try and move into the day. You couldn’t ask for a gentler introduction to a chilly morning.
It’s the kind of music that you can imagine playing behind the scene in an indie movie where the geek and the girl realise they are perfect for each other. At least that’s what happens in my head. It has a little of the James Yorkston about it, but is certainly in the area of Jose Gonzalez/Iron and Wine/Bon Iver. If you like acoustic troubadours who sound as if their life is in their boots then this is for you. Trust me on this one, it’s a thing of beauty. Have a listen to the first track Rails which gives a good indication of the whole:
You can sample the whole thing and more @ webuildcollapsiblemountains but as a wee extra here’s Where We Go Tomorrow:
This is the debut release by Peenko, whose indispensable blog can be found @peenko . It is a reliable source of all that’s good in Scottish music at the moment, he even gives you freebies every Friday, and I suggest you visit regularly for new discoveries. I Build Collapsible Mountains may be the first, but I’m guessing not the last, release from the Peenko Records stable. It’s going to be a hard act to follow. You can catch up with both artist and Svengali at The Classic Grand on the 5th Nov for Aye Tunes vs Peenko 3 where the bill also includes The Seventeenth Century and the always wonderful Come On Gang.
While I’m promoting events; you should also be aware of the forthcoming Oxjam event which is on the 29th November, also at the Classic Grand, and kicks off at 7pm. Tickets are £4 in advance and £5 on the door, and for your money you’ll see The Clyde, Kochka, Nevada Base and The Winter Tradition. The night is organised by Favourite Son, another excellent writer on Scottish music that you should check out. It should be a great night for a good cause. Further info can be found at:
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