Do you want a witty autumnal anecdote, or straight into October’s Bits? Correct answer. ‘Volcano’ by Wave of the Flood doesn’t quite erupt, but its embers smoulder sweetly. Fingerpicking, slapped percussion, strings that float around you, and Lesley Strachan’s vocal make it a track steeped in autumn colour.
That mood carries into Erin Meg’s ‘Damsel in Distress’. It’s deliberate and methodical, a great vehicle for a full vocal range. If you want to sink into the sofa and let songs wrap around you, this – and ‘Parachutes’ by Merlyn Driver – will do it. It’s folky, rustic, with a rhythm that lodges itself quietly in the back of your mind.
Then again, maybe you want to get out and feelthe world. October is perfect for football: Saturday afternoons where the floodlights flicker on afterhalf-time and European dreams cling on for dearlife.That’s our backdrop to introduce JJ Bull. You might know him from his statistics breakdown videos and slightly biased takes on Scottish football. Park that bus: it’s still football, but through the mediumof 00s dance.
If you’ve ever wished that James Murphy focused his love of repetition on St Mirren time-wasting, or for The Rapture to write a song called ‘House of Untracked Runners’, ‘Counter Attack and Win’ is for you. Final judgment might need VAR.
The editor loves it like I love Tony Pulis:against the odds, and with total commitment. Two spins recommended.
We try to keep BITS to current and forthcoming releases, but sometimes we miss things worth flagging. ‘Desire’ by Zara Louise saunters in like a Lou Reed ballad on a rare day when he knew how it felt to be loved. Very Bits. Very you, too.
You know we always bang the drum for SHEARS (check out her debut album this month). She’s producing ‘The Spirit, The Law’ by Thundermoon, and the pairing works. A skipping undercurrent keeps you on edge – and why would you want to relax? Give in. Enjoy yourself; it’s later than you think. The same goes for Peter Cat: on ‘Instrumentality’, you can hear him edging closer to the fabulous sounds he pictures in his head.
There’s a fair chance that the sound you imagine will flow from Toy Fighting’s ‘First Temptation’ isn’t what you hear. Prepare yourself for a rich, deep voice barrelling over clanging acoustic guitar, bringing touches of country and nu-folk to the now. ‘Desire Lines’ by Lou McLean, produced by Carla J Easton, has a sultry side, couched in country and pop. It isn’t ‘country-pop’, if that makes sense – and that’s before the sitar drifts in.
‘Blackout Sky’ by Vanderlye touches on thebombardment in Gaza – a challenging subject,but one we mustn’t let slip from view. It’s a big guitarsong with flashes of early (and, yes, good) U2. Any song that starts, ‘In Aberdeen, you told him he was a prick’, has our attention. JJ Bull might have thoughts about that, but he’ll likely enjoy the modern Scottish folk from Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows. ‘Union Street’ echoes someof this nation’s best-loved bands of the past 15 years. You’ll like it too.
We’ll wrap with Feyvo and ‘TMS’. If you want a hip-hop track that flows easily over a delightful loop, this one’s packed with confidence and joy –and we all need more of that.
There’s no more of us this month, but don’t be sad it’s over: just be glad you gave us a reason to dig into new Scottish music. We’ve loved it as much as you (hopefully) have. Let’s keep doing it.
