Broken Records should be one of Scotland's musical success stories.
Previously signed to 4AD, they make music that, on disc and on stage, swells like Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen and The Killers, often with the Celtic twist of Rory Sutherland's violin woven into the mix. But, four years on from Let Me Come Home, they've had to fund their third album via a Pledge campaign and are still playing smaller local stages. The sound and style of their music hasn't diminished one iota, however. Ditty opens the album with shimmering guitars kept tight on a leash, drums resounding and Jamie Sutherland's voice packing a passionate punch: it's everything The National do well. Winterless Son, on the other hand, hits like the best Gaslight Anthem song not to be born in New Jersey, while Toska (and, later on, Nothing Doubtful) showcases the precision-tooled composition and arrangements that make their songs swing from intimate to epic in a matter of bars. Not every hook is as sharp as could be, but there's no question these songs have stature.
Alan Morrison
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