Cougar Microbes

With just a handful of tracks in my possession I think it is fair to say Oscar Charlie have kept me guessing since I first heard them at the start of this year. Hailing from the Shetland Isles, but recently relocated to Glasgow, the band’s synth heavy songs weren’t what I was expecting when I first checked them out.

Sounding positively brooding and taking the quiet/loud mantle from their contemporaries the band  mix elements from Editors as well as fellow scots Copy Haho, Idlewild and Frightened Rabbit.

in just a few tracks Oscar Charlie display a load of promise and a tendency to build layer upon layer of melodious sound.With a single just released and an EP due at the start of June I would recommend keeping tabs on this lot.

TRACKS:

Oscar Charlie – Hello Chrono

At just 27 Jenny Reeves can already be considered a veteran of the Scottish indie scene having performed with and/or contributed on recordings by the likes of The Reindeer Section, Idlewild, Snow Patrol and Arab Strap. With her quasi-solo project Strike The Colours she has allowed her multi-instrumental talents and marvellous voice to take centre stage.

My first exposure to her work was when I received the ‘Breathing Exercises‘ single with its wonderfully hand crafted DIY artwork. The two tracks were carefully constructed, like the artwork they were encased in, and offered enough highlights to deserve multiple plays. The upcoming album ‘Seven Roads‘ has a similiar quality that will have you returning for successive listens.

“This is how we live in frosty weather,

when the darkness pushes us together”

These lyrics from opening track ‘Cold Hands‘ set the tone for the album offering  a dose of melancholia and underlying affection. These themes are ever present in the imagery Reeves sketches and are rendered all the more acute by her endearing Scottish accent.

The aforementioned ‘Breathing Exercise” is typical of this approach with its summery tones betraying a barely noticeable  sadness that is juxtaposed with rolling drum patterns and gentle guitars. Elsewhere even those tracks where her ensemble turn the distortion up a notch it is done with the utmost attention to dynamics drawing the focus towards the vocals.

The presence of Aereogramme’s Craig B on some of the tracks, in a way similiar in effect to Jenny Lewis‘ fleeting appearances on The Postal Service‘s classic ‘Give Up‘ album, adds a wonderful contrast that not only embellishes the tracks but allows the songs he features to go to the next level.

At times Reeves channels a powerful mix of Suzanne Vega’s breathy folk and attention to words, Regina Spektor’s solemn/vulnerable moments and Emiliana Torrini‘s simple yet beautiful melodies. You may notice the references are all female solo artists; in all honesty Reeves‘s presence dominates these recordings to such an extent that it is almost impossible to imagine these songs being performed by anyone else.

‘Seven Roads’ should be heard all in one take, preferably in front of the fireplace.

TRACK:

Strike The Colours – Breathing Exercise

Its time to halt the political meandering on Cougar Microbes and get back to writing about the music I love. 

During my first year in London for a while there was one track that followed me in every pub, bar and club. I didn’t know its name or who it was by but its familiar vocal refrain haunted me wherever I went. 

At the same time the bassist in my band was waxing lyrical about a young Scottish band with an articulate frontman who he swore I would love. When he finally played me ‘100 Broken Windows‘ I connected the dots;  The same band captured both our imaginations.

Idlewild‘s personal take on alt-rock resembled Nirvana making sweet love with Joy Division whilst Fugazi secretly filmed it (I’ve always wanted to do one of those). Their angular soundscapes served as a perfect canvas for singer Roddy Woomble to craft his ideas with the use of clever melodies and deliberate emphasis.

Over the years I have welcomed and enjoyed most of the Edinburgh quartet’s other releases but that initial impact is unrivalled.  Do yourself a favour and track down a copy of ‘100 broken windows‘.

TRACKS:

Idlewild – Little Discourage