Category: Album/Single Review

Saint Sappho – Between the Lines – album review

June 29, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Between the Lines, is the debut album from Saint Sappho, the Glasgow based duo of Zoe Young and Tammy Bryson. an entirely DIY project recorded and produced in their home studio and independently released on vinyl and CD as well as on streaming platforms. The result of their hard work and commitment to the cause is a stunningly atmospheric collection of 13 sublime surging anthemic songs with an existential edge whose lyrics ponder identity, belonging, grief and the meaning of life and death. The soul of the songs is deeply rooted in 1980’s and 90’s alternative rock, with the duo carefully cherry picking a variety of elements from a range of diverse genres of the era, from trip hop to grunge, indie rock to baggy/indie dance to create their very own distinctly rich and vibrant sound, moody and sweepingly vast in equal measures, while also maintaining a mysterious air of hypnotic hazy dreaminess.… Read the rest

Carla J Easton – I Think That I Might Love You – album review

June 23, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Carla J Easton has had a busy few years, co-writing/directing and narrating the wonderful Since Yesterday documentary, and the promo that went along with it, and a Hen Hoose Collective album, The Twelve, in January (review here). Now she has followed up her 2023 solo album, Sugar Honey with the excellent I Think That I Might Love You in May. Taking her motivation from many of the inspirational women featured in Since Yesterday, and being encouraged to pick up a guitar by Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines, who Carla has toured with since 2017, on this new record she has stepped out from behind her synths and keyboards to play guitar for the first time, and the results are a captivating new chapter in her glittering career.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – New Phone, New Car, New Man – album review

June 22, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

As I finally get around to reviewing this album it comes with with a sense of sadness owing the sudden passing of guitarist Brian McFie, a beautiful soul who has left an indelible mark on both the Scottish music scene and on the hearts of everyone who had the fortune of knowing him. Only a short time before his untimely passing I had the good fortune to witness his heartfelt playing with Fay Fife’s Countess of Fife guise alongside bandmates Kirsten, Al and Willy and Fay’s unrivalled vocals they created a glorious celebratory sound in Glasgow’s intimate Southside venue The Glad Cafe at the second of their two gigs to celebrate the release of this album.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 4

June 17, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

The latest part of May’s singles is another smorgasbord from across genres and spanning the Atlantic with a good sprinkling of up and coming Scottish bands and there is an undercurrent of rock n roll/rockabilly and blues in several of the songs in this part of the round up…

First up, having collaborated on their previous single with The Interrupters, Dead Pioneers have joined forces with Sleaford Mods Jason Williamson for The Worst Among Us. The message behind the song is as valid for the UK in our present times as it is for Gregg Deal’s home in the  USA. US Presidents and parties like Reform with their racist narratives are emboldening the far right… “The worst among us cast shadows long” …as seen by recent events in Belfast and closer to home in Glasgow.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 3

June 9, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

The first couple of songs in this part were actually April releases which I didn’t pick up on at the time and there are a few others from earlier in the year that I didn’t pick up on…

Based on the current state of the world and the behaviours of some sections of society I’m beginning to think that the name of this next band is something that really should be considered, anyway… Veto Humans debut single Belong to Glasgow, is a moody brooding track with low key vocals that deliver the refrain of the song’s title repeatedly throughout, the vocal soundtracked by darkly glitchy driving dance beats interspersed with some sonorous guitar riffs. … Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Pt 2

June 6, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I keep thinking I’m getting there then something knocks me back again… so here we are in June and I’m only on part 2 of May’s singles round up’s with the remainder of April and all of May’s album reviews languishing uncomplete… Anyway here goes for part 2 of May’s singles

Something a bit different from Verse Metrics this month with the multi-textured and hypnotically atmospheric Robin Southby remix of their track Arcane Spillage. A slow burn intro breaks into delicate piano parts, before the rhythm builds and the urgency increases, the refrain of “like I’m being gently pulled apart” glitching and repeating until the full blown thunderous beats and synths opens up.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 1

May 27, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

It’s a small miracle, I’ve nearly caught up with the singles round ups, not quite the end of May yet and here is the first part of the round up for May, with more to come of course…

wojtek the bear are producing some of the best songs of their career just now in my humble opinion, from the response track to Kylie’s Got a Crush On Us, the tongue in cheek kylie’s put a curse on us, through the self deprecating french blue to this, the third single to come from album, i don’t think you want to be here.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Live in The Glad Cafe

May 24, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Photos courtesy of Stephen Brown

The Countess of Fife recently released her second album, New Phone, New Car, New Man, so for the Glasgow half of her album launch gigs, having already played Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms earlier in the week, it was fitting for her to return to the scene of previous victories, a local gig for me at The Glad Cafe.

It was a very civilised affair in the intimate surroundings of the room in the Southside venue, and as I took my seat, I was anticipating a highly entertaining night packed with jocose quips from the inimitable Countess herself punctuating a set of rabble-rousing alt-country anthems.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – April

May 19, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I feel like I’m running to stand still in playing catch up, but there are so many great new singles out in the wild that I wanted to capture them all, for my own benefit more than anything else. April was another strong month for emerging Scottish talent, alongside more established Scottish bands, as well as singles from far and wide, including a rare appearance from Finland with a new Teksti TV 666 single from their new EP.

Pedalo continue to excel as one of Scotland’s finest purveyors of majestically soulful dream pop with the irresistible groove of Hate Me. Charlotte’s soaring gossamer smooth vocals belie the tale of a broken relationship where the desire to even receive negative emotions would be better than nothing at all.… Read the rest

Buzz Cutz – April Albums Pt 1 – Broken Chanter, Brontës, Sports Frock & The Twilight Sad

May 18, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Still playing catch up with reviews of my favourite albums from 2026 so far, having had an extended absence from the blog and social media in general, and I know The Twilight Sad album was officially a March release…

Broken Chanter – This Could Be Us, You, Or Anybody Else

David McGregor’s latest masterpiece, This Could Be Us, You, Or Anybody Else is a protest album for the 21st Century, perfectly capturing a moment in time that highlights just how dystopian the days we are living in are with his astute observations of what it means to live on this spinning sphere where world leaders seem intent on hitting the self-destruct button and steering us on a crash course to oblivion.… Read the rest