Something Beginning With L

Beautiful Ground

(Armellodie)

Glasgow-based record label Armellodie peddles a fine collection of left-of-centre wares. From early releases by Le Reno Amps, through albums by Cuddly Shark and The Scottish Enlightenment, right up to the recent debut by The Douglas Firs, the music refuses easy definitions, preferring instead to strive that wee bit harder when pushing genre envelopes. Another debut – that of London trio Something Beginning With L – fits perfectly into the Armellodie catalogue. With dreamy female vocals sitting on top of scuzzy guitars and electro beats, it’s a bit shoegaze, a bit psychedelic pop, a bit like The Unthanks morphing into The Breeders and back again. Mostly those transitions are organically handled, although the folky flavour that’s contained within the plucked guitar, chamber string textures and twin female harmonies at the start of Mean has, within a couple of minutes, exploded into a psycho-rock rumble. Elsewhere, the resonant bass piano notes of Elephant Pt II contrast wonderfully with the downward-winding melody and reverb-soaked vocals, while closer Unwittingly Beautiful completely lives up to its title.

Alan Morrison