Gig Review: Meursault/Found/Withered Hand

Meursault/Found/Withered Hand

Edinburgh Liquid Rooms, April 26

Put on as part of Haddowfest, even before a note had been played, on paper this was a fantastic gig featuring three of Edinburgh’s finest acts. And given the profile that both Meursault and Withered Hand now have – having headlined the much bigger Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh in their own respective rights- at this point in their respective careers it could be argued that this was an intimate gig.

Doors were at seven so I was aghast to arrive at twenty-past seven to find Dan Willson and his band well into their set. Focusing on new songs, they sounded brilliant, and when the long-awaited follow-up to Good News appears, don’t expect it simply to be part 2 on the evidence of tonight.

‘Hi, we’re Found…we think.’ Found have parted company with bassist Tommy Perman, but the new look, two-piece band are now trading in rather fine analogue electronica. Their most recent album, 2011’s Factorycraft saw them reaching new heights critically and commercially, so let us hope that they continue. ‘Bangin’ has been the description of their recent shows -and I would agree.

Neil Pennycook and his merry men take to stage with a reminder from the compere that they have been longlisted for the Scottish Album Of The Year Award, alongside obvious pals like Paws, Errors and RM Hubbert and commercial heavyweights like Calvin Harris and Emelie Sandé. To my shame, I hadn’t seen a full band show from Meursault before, but I’m in quite a hurry to see them again. If their third album, Something For The Weakened demonstrated that they had evolved from folk-meets-electronica (don’t you dare call them folktronica!), then live this is one step even further. Opening with ‘Flittin’ they show that actually they can rock -but on their own terms.

This is perhaps best demonstrated by ‘Crank Resolutions’ which live is more in keeping with the magnificent melancholia of The Blue Nile or Mogwai. It’s not to say that Meursault are a miserable band -live on stage Neil Pennycook is on fine form, and quite the cheery bloke. He even dedicates ‘Dull Spark’ to Oskar ‘who is four today!’ Between their first album in 2008 Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues and the present there’s an impressive trajectory, and it will be interesting to see what Neil and co. do next. THere will be an ever-growing crowd of obnservers waiting, too…

The return of the Pictish Trail

pictishtrailkingcreosote

Johnny Lynch, part of the famous Fence Collective, and better known as The Pictish Trail ,has come up with an interesting idea for his new single.

Entitled ‘Of Course You Exist’, it is a physical release…of a sort. Not for our man, vinyl, CDs or even a limited cassette of 100.

Instead, both versions are sewn into the seams of a sweatshirt and t-shirt as two separate download bundles. Check out Johnny and Kenny Anderson AKA King Creosote modelling them above!

There is a new EP out in July, and a tour and album to follow later in the year.

Enjoy the track above for now!

Buy the t-shirts here and here from the Fence website.

Update: May 3, 2012

This remix by Edinburgh’s FOUND collective (now signed to Chemikal Underground, dontchooknow) was made available to download free yesterday:

Album review – Found

found

Found – ‘Factorycraft’ (Chemikal Underground)

This is Found’s third album, and sees the Edinburgh three piece having moved from one legendary Scots indie label (Fence) to another (Chemikal Underground).

Opening with ‘Anti Climb Paint’ the album showcases a band who continue to hone their sound and songwriting craft. It features a number of excellent songs, including recent single ‘Machine Age Dancing’, the dark and epic closer ‘Blendbetter’ and my favourite track ‘You’re No Vincent Gallo.’ The band continue to pursue their own path, mixing indie and electronica, and much more besides. I makes perfect sense that they’ve toured with labelmates The Phantom Band; in the best possible sense, the two are perfect bedfellows.

Several listens in, I feel that this album could do more than just expand their loyal fanbase, but actually help them make the commercial breakthrough they deserve to. Each successive listen reveals something else, and something really rather delightful…

****

Factorycraft is out now on Chemikal Underground