Help Ma Boab, It's The 62 Word Review

Meursault – Something For The Weakened

With gritted teeth I hovered my cursor over the play button, prepared for an aural onslaught similar to that of Meursault's previous effort. However, the production here is far superior: warm and clear, yet still lofi enough to be Meursault. The glorious swells of Hole and the lilting sway of Settling are particularly nice moments on an album full of them. Superb.

Something For The Weakened is out on Song, By Toad Records on 16th July

Zed Penguin – Heathens (single)

This took a few listens to get my head round but now I love it. There's a swirling, dreamy mass of sound (see My Bloody Valentine or The Jesus and Mary Chain) and a vocal delivery straight out of New York in the late 70s. The cool, so-laid-back-it's-lying-down bassline stoats along just pure no' gie'in a fuck about anything. A fantastic track.

The Winter Tradition - Gradients

As I said when I reviewed their single San Diego, this is not normally the type of thing I'd be into. However, The Winter Tradition's brand of guitar pop is done very well indeed, melodic yet always forceful. The highlights here are the sprawling Tides And Telegrams, and the huge Nightscape, which is at times reminiscint of The Remote Part era Idlewild.  

Firelight (2010 single version)

Gradients is released on 16th July

Fin.

Help Ma Boab, It's The 62 Word Review

The Winter Tradition – San Diego

This single from forthcoming album Gradients isn't something I'd normally go out my way to listen to but I'm very glad it dropped into my inbox. Although it has that typical current guitar-pop sound (think Fatherson), there's plenty here to love. There are tight harmonies and tidy guitar lines, quiet bits and loud bits, pumping bass and an anthemic chorus. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Available from all the major digital outlets.

The Seven Deadly Sins – Misery Lake EP

This type of dark country-punk doesn't so much for me at all. It's fairly drab, standard stuff really and, although there's a nice atmospheric vocal sound throughout, it lacks originality both musically and lyrically. There's very little to set it apart from the pub-band crowd. A real shame, because some of their earlier output (Silver & Gold for example) was very good.

Available from 5th June

Thank You So Nice – Let's Make Money

Despite having the worst band name in Edinburgh, the new single from these guys is good, if initially a little confusing to the ear. Tied up in ropes of driven guitar and thick bass, there's a twee monster trying to break out. You could say it's the pop tune Dear Catastrophe Waitress-era Belle and Sebastian would've written had they owned distortion pedals.

Available now from Bandcamp.

Fin.