Burnt Island -‘Music and Maths’ (Chaffinch)

At just under twenty-three minutes and six tracks, as to whether this an EP or a mini-album is perhaps up for debate, but I’d rather focus on the music. Quite rightly, this has been some excellent notices of late.

If you feel the need to lazily pigeonhole bands, then, yes, Burnt Island are very much at that point where scots folk meets indie. But over the course of these six songs, what they do is manage to be so lovely -and as Song, By Toad has already pointed out -they have mastered the art of the tiny surprise. I’d picked up on this album after Avalanche Records were pushing it -in a nice way, and after other recommendations (including from members of the Last Battle), I knew i had to investigate. It didn’t pin me to the floor on first hearing, but i have been playing this a fair bit over the last few weeks, and every time I hear it, it works its’ charms a little further on me.

Not only do they have a knack for great songs and tunes, but the Glasgow-based five pice also have a knack for unusual but rather cool songs. The album is bookended by ‘A Supposedly Fun thing I’ll Never do Again’ and ‘Me And All Of My Friends Are Alright.’ Both excellent tracks, but the the one that has won Burnt Island their place on my best of scottish playlist on my iPod is the fantastic title track.

If you’re not turned on by music of the indie-folk variety…maybe this album won’t work for you. But if you still have a place in your cynical, twisted heart for sweet music, make iot for Burnt Island. I found room -can you?

****

Music and Maths is out now on Chaffinch Records

Burnt Island’s myspace (stream tracks here)

Buy it at Avalanche, from Chaffinch