T Break, goNORTH, King Tut's Summer Nights and New Year's Revolution ...
Scotland offers a decent set of platforms for up-and-coming bands. Now add to that the first of four free compilation albums (due for fortnightly release) from the newly refurbished Bar Bloc on Glasgow's Bath Street. Out tomorrow, this initial 10-track collection favours rock over dance, guitars over electronica, but still manages to be a tangible taster of a diverse and vibrant scene. I reckon it leans too heavily on instrumental jams for a series opener (although the urgent icy synths of Vasa and complex prog-jazz groove of Gastric Band score high here), but I can't fault anything that includes the built-from-the-ground-up swoonsome pop of Adam Stafford, the reverb rock'n'roll of Deathcats, the evolving post-rock contours of Verse Metrics, the alt-edged electro pop of Tetra and the Squeeze/Costello songwriting of Chris Devotion And The Expectations. It bodes well for a series that will showcase the grassroots stars of 2014 and give a leg up to the ones who'll shine in 2015. Delete U2 and fit this on a playlist instead.
Alan Morrison
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