Hugh Mclachlan and co. return with this exquisite and fitting 10 song tribute to his late sister Kim. The album title comes from the motto of the MacLachlan clan, translating as strong and faithful, an appropriate title for the ten emotionally charged songs on show here.
Reflecting the album’s title, the game is strong on the Glasgow quartets new collection of songs, coming across both as vigorously brawny in their own inimitable brusque garage rock cowpunk style, but dig into the song titles and lyrics and there is a touching depth to them, the love and passion for Hugh’s sister shining through on these songs, such as the seagull backed achingly beautiful lament that is Born for You.
The maturity of song-writing and the accomplished arrangements here hint at the route Kings of Leon could have gone down had they not come to a fork on the road and decided to take the path marked “overblown bollocks” and started writing songs like the ridiculously awful Sex on Fire.
The Reverse Cowgirls clearly took the fork that said “be true to your soul” taking their garage rock blueprint and giving it a Glasgow twist, with a detour via 1970s glam punk Noo Yawk City just for good measure, occasional riffs owing a debt to Thunders, like on the raucous Chasing Ghosts and at times Hugh demonstrating a guttural drawl that is 75% Hugh’s Glasgow attitude and soul, and 25% David Johansen sneer.
There are other influences at play too with the likes of Bo Diddley clearly having made an impression on Hugh at some point and Scotty Moore’s version of Marie’s the Name riffs abounding on one of the album’s (many) highlights, the glorious rock ‘n’ roll hoedown that is the Glasgow Girls.
The album is bookended by two sumptuous instrumentals taking their names from the albums title and packed with reverberant call and response luxuriant guitar riffs. The first one seguing into the magnificence of The Great Disappearer, this time the call and response demonstrated vocally between High and Alaine, before Hugh’s plaintive calls of “she’s not there”.
Just prior to the album’s close, bass player Alaine takes the lead vocal on the heartachingly beautiful Onada, before the closing instrumental adds Ad Infinitum to its title. Strong and faithful forever. A superb new album form one of Glasgow’s live favourites and a fitting tribute to an obviously much loved and missed sister.
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