[Plastilina, 2010]
Glasgow's Felt Tips have been around for a while, and have recorded a few singles over the last 3 years, but this is their debut album proper. A lot of the great songs I have been listening to in demo form for a while are re-recorded here, thankfully, meaning they can finally see wider release. Another in the long line of great Scottish indiepop bands, instrumentally the Felt Tips are just an above-average jangle pop band, albeit one with an ear for a great tune. It is lyrically where they really shine.
The lead singer Andrew's voice is perfect for the tales of teenage fumbles, the songs forming genuine stories with proper characters and everything. Bought And Sold, the tale of a trip down from Scotland to London, is a case in point, as is Silver Spoon, a much bleaker tale of a girl from a rich background who suffers horrendous injuries in a car crash. The backing music initially feels jangly and happy, but listening to more than a couple of these songs at once reveals depths, which try to emphasise just how empty and depressing the life that the singer appears to be trying to leave can be. I like to think the album is autobiographical, because the singer's experiences seem a lot more in tune with those of genuine people than a lot of their contemporaries. Maybe my favourite song on the album, however, is Dear Morrissey, a paean-of-sorts to the Morrissey of the 80s, and all that he stood for, which has in many ways been undermined by his latter-day actions (listened to Paint A Vulgar Picture recently?)
Had I realised this album had come out in 2010 when I wrote my run-down, it would definitely have made an appearance in the top 10. As it is, I think I'll just be listening to it for a good portion of 2011, at the very least.
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