The Devil's Debt

(Vertical)

Maybe it's because of the flood of you-weren't-even-born-then groups who have stolen from 1980s pop in recent years, but a handful of the originals are starting to fight back. And not with those hits package nostalgia tours: I'm talking about the bands (some Scottish in part or whole) who have released new material or performed proper headline slots in a manner that stands shoulder to shoulder with the glory days. Hot on the heels of Ultravox and Deacon Blue (and building on their own triumphant Celtic Connections gig), we now have Love & Money's first new album in 20 years, which contains some of the best songs James Grant and co have ever written – the title track alone is one of the best 1980s songs not to be written in that decade. Grant's deep crooner of a voice sounds fantastic here, especially when squeezing every drop of romance out This Is The Last Time's U2-flecked white soul music or embracing the gorgeous pop phrases of The Desired. Personally, I'd rather listen to this than Strange Kind Of Love ...