Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Sony/ BMG


It seems that every decade someone rediscovers the sweet melodies of 1950s pop music and reworks it through the musical lens of the time. In the 90s Weezer channeled those vibes and combined it with punk-pop energy and alternative rock distorted guitars (we'll forget about the 80s attempt by Jive Bunny). Now in the 00s, Glasvegas has dropped this sweet sound into a post-rock world inspired by bands like Mogwai and Sigur Ros.

Case in point is the opening track Flowers And Football Tops, which not only contains lots of sweet 50s melodies and doo-wop backing vocals but even finishes up with a brilliantly washed out guitar fuzz outro that blends into the chorus of You Are My Sunshine. Glasvegas is obviously heavily influenced by football (soccer); from song titles and lyrics, to the jubilant repeated chorus of "here we go, here we fucking go" in Go Square Go. But not content to be influenced by football culture, the band seek to be a prophetic voice calling football hooligans to examine themselves and their violent actions with the song Stabbed. This stirring sombre spoken word poem is underpinned by a subtle interpretation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Glasvegas have taken the gorgeous sound of Just Like Honey era Jesus And Mary Chain and added an even more epic guitar sound ready for a new generation to embrace. Vocally, Glasvegas kicks goal on plenty of levels, starting with James Allan's cool Scottish accent; his voice is urgent, captivating and emotive. Amidst all the cheeky pop culture references it is Allan's heart-on-his-sleeve honesty that makes songs like It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry so damn likeable. Allan's lyrical themes often dwell on darker topics, such as the juvenile justice system in Polmont On My Mind, but approached with their uplifting mindset and combined with sweet melodies and epic guitars makes for a winning formula.

Ice Cream Van ends the album with a dreamy soundscape that again communicates the wall-of-sound feel that Glasvegas hit so well. Not only do they have a gargantuan sound but Glasvegas had colossal expectations placed on this album after being hailed as the saviours of Rock 'n Roll by both NME and Alan McGee (Creation Records). Glasvegas may not change this crumbling world, but they have written one of the best albums of 08; a record that is compelling, exciting and will float through your head for days. If the single Daddy's Gone has grabbed your attention, be assured that Glasvegas's self titled has more gold where that came from.

Scott Berry