Edinburgh’s Hobbes Music label returns with a second EP of dream pop from husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), alias Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced McLochlun), who wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP ‘It’s True What They Say?’ last year.

‘It’s True What They Say?’ attracted fans across the board: Artist Of The Week in The Scotsman, rapturous reviews from The Skinny and Tokyo's Ban Ban Ton Ton blog, BBC 6Music airplay courtesy of Nemone (Mary Anne Hobbs' Morning Show), more radio play from Radio Scotland's Roddy Hart & Vic Galloway, plus Simone Butler (Primal Scream) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds) via their respective Soho Radio shows, not forgetting ringing endorsements from the likes of David Holmes, Youth, Kevin Bales (Spiritualized), Brent Rademaker (Beachwood Sparks) and Julian Corrie (Franz Ferdinand).

They played gigs supporting Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, at festivals (Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music, Hidden Door), plus a slew of venues across the Scottish capital, ending the year with a trio of shows supporting Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells at Aberdeen’s Tunnels, Dunfermline’s PJ Molloys and Edinburgh’s Liquid Rooms, while The List magazine tipped them among their Ones To Watch For 2025, with journalist Fiona Shepherd suggesting they were “blending the starry-eyed pop of Sonny & Cher with the electronic experimentation of Chris & Cosey.”

Very much the companion piece to the debut EP but arriving a full twelve months later, 'Someone’s Ghost' is emblematic of the duo’s desire not to rush things or release anything half-baked.

“I’ve always wanted to create the perfect pop record and I do really feel that we’ve achieved that with this one,” says Shaun. And he’s clearly not the only person who thinks so.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Exquisite dream pop with plenty of flair a la Italians Do It Better / Chromatics etc. Should also appeal to fans of Thief Of Time and David Holmes.

TRACK LISTING

1. Anhedonia 04:19
2. Debbie Harry 04:49
3. Filter Of Love 05:36
4. The Sound Which Stresses The Sound Of My Ears 06:03

RIYL: The Microphones, Bon Iver, Lomelda, Vegyn, Hovvdy, Dijon.

Follow up to 2019’s critically acclaimed ‘bunny’

Sam Hall’s new album as ghost orchard, ‘rainbow music’, is a collage of patience and meditation. It’s filled with nuances as quietly imperceptible as the seasons, or the profound movement of time, where one day looking back you realize your whole spirit has shifted. Where 2019’s critically revered ‘bunny’ was a love letter to a romantic relationship, ‘rainbow music’ documents the culmination of Hall’s first personal experience with loss in several forms. At the end of 2020, his longterm childhood pet passed away, and with it the last continuing threads of familiarity between being a kid and adulthood. Still based in the Grand Rapids, Michigan town he’d grown up in, the static ease of familiar living seemed to be coming apart at the seams, as friends moved on to bigger cities, relationships shapeshifted and in a short period of time, another kitten he’d adopted passed away prematurely, leaving Hall to question the trajectory in which he himself was headed.

Like “songs in the key of life,” the title ‘rainbow music’ refers to the myriad of colors and qualities within Hall that are refracted throughout. It’s a symbolization of hope and the aftermath, the flickering light at the end of the tunnel (or “when a rainbow shows up after a big storm”). “Wish I could have fun anymore,” Hall ruminates on “dancing”, as well as confessing he “wish he made more upbeat bangers.” But reality packs more of a punch, and this collection of songs sees him finally be at peace with the current state of affairs. Relatable to anyone who has contemplated what it means to settle down, or even just catch your breath in an era where anguish is commonplace, the release of ‘rainbow music’ is a happy ending in its own right, a marker of survival that remains close to the bone.

TRACK LISTING

01. Rest
02. Jessamine
03. Cursive
04. Maisy
05. Cut
06. Soot
07. Memory Storage
08. Dancing
09. Bruise
10. Sweet Song
11. Comfort (Rainbow)

Southend quartet Ghost Music release their evocative debut album I Was Hoping You’d Pass By Here via Arlen on 19 January. They create careful, considered songs, weaving lo-fi lullabies with gliding guitars and understated arrangements. Influenced by Silver Jews, Flying Nun and K Records, they explore themes of nature, love, loss and a melancholic English romanticism embellished with beautifully spectral melodies and executed with startling subtlety.

Despite this record being their debut, the band has produced a veritable wealth of music over the past 20 years in various guises. Ghost Music revolves around the songwriting partnership of Matt Randall and Lee Hall, who had played together in the 90s with John Peel favourites Beatglider. More recently Randall has received critical acclaim as Plantman, with his three albums Closer to the Snow, Whispering Trees and To The Lighthouse receiving praise from The Guardian, Uncut and Mojo. When Randall and Hall reunited to collaborate on another album together, they brought in the talents of Roy Thirlwall on bass (Melodie Group) and Leighton Jennings on drums (Dark Globes) to complete the band.

The original idea would be that the songs would be “ghosts” and create “ghost music” to resurrect and dust off old songs that they had already started. Lee had found the beginnings of “Home Dog” on a dusty old 4-track and he had recorded “Strange Love” on his iPhone in 2014, whilst Matt had written “My Cloud” as far back as 1997 (the night he moved out of his parents’ house). As the album began to take shape, the ghostly premise took a back seat, as they began to breathe new life into the songs they found the impetus to write new ones.

Randall explains the songwriting process; “When we were in Beatglider together and in the past we’d made a ‘thing’ out of writing long songs with a lot of changes. This time we pared it back a bit and stuck to the melodies more. We really wanted to make a proper guitar record. Lee’s my favourite guitarist and it was lovely to see him stretch out on these songs with his diamond fingers.”

Not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves, Ghost Music’s sound is instantly familiar, echoing beloved bands from the 90s such as Pavement (“Home Dog” has a definite “Range Life” feel), Galaxie 500 (“Blindspot”), Yo La Tengo (“Heart Shaped Holiday” is influenced by the languid YLT songs that peak after a short intro) and even old-school rock’n’roll (“Strange Love” was born out of an appreciation for the instantly engaging opening riff in 50s songs). Yet Ghost Music’s work never feels derivative, being instead effortlessly emotive, melancholic and affecting, creating a world of sound that is hugely reassuring and a tonic for the modern age.

TRACK LISTING

1. Home Dog
2. Heart Shaped Holiday
3. Strange Love
4. We Could Get Along
5. This Kingdom One
6. Blindspot
7. Let's Meet
8. Queen Of England
9. Gurl In A Whorl
10. Blackbird Stars
11. Close Your Eyes
12. My Cloud
13. I'm No 

‘Ghost Stations', the ninth studio album by Marconi Union, will be released in August. With Ghost Stations, Marconi Union’s music continues to straddle the world’s of artistic credibility and musical accessibility. They were not afraid to accept the challenge of making new music rather than just repeating their earlier work and were well aware of the risk of trying new things.

After fourteen years of writing and performing, the trio – founder members Richard Talbot and Jamie Crossley with keyboard player Duncan Meadows – are thought to be “amongst today's most talented musicians” The Sunday Times. They have continually steadily refined and developed a unique musical identity, gracefully blending together elements of dub, jazz, ambience and electronica within their richly melodic compositions, evoking emotions that set them apart from their peers.

Before making a record Marconi Union usually have a clear idea about its ultimate direction. But this time, they decided to set aside any preconceptions, they spent the last two years experimenting with playing, programming, editing, re-editing, (agreeing and disagreeing) until Ghost Stations naturally evolved. Once the title was decided upon, everything fell into place connecting ideas of abandonment, empty spaces and dereliction.

“We always want to move forward and try new things, there's no point in just treading water, so it was great to use a couple of guest musicians [Digitonal's Andy Dobson on clarinet and Girogio Li Calzi on trumpet]. Sometimes you need real playing, especially when it comes to feel”.

Over the last fourteen years, their studio albums, 'Under Wires and Searchlights' (2003) (“sonically immaculate” Uncut), 'Distance' (2005) (“one of the most successful ambient albums of recent years” The Sunday Times), ‘A Lost Connection’ (2010) (“minimal, introspective, ethereal electronica – gorgeous” The Guardian), ‘Beautifully Falling Apart (2011) (“places MU firmly in the vanguard of acts making atmospheric, ambient music” Music OMH, Different Colours' (2012) (“a work of be-witching beauty” DMC), and their last album, Weightless (2014) (“an ethereal sense of free flowing dimensions” DJ Mag), have brought them to the attention of larger audiences and international critical acclaim.

This debut full length from one of the most important bands in the contemporary hardcore scene. "Background Music"? It's anything but, in fact it's the sort of music that comes right up to you and pokes you in the eye, rips your arm off and clubs you with the bloodied stump. The band changed its name to Give Up The Ghost after the original American Nightmare, a band based outside of Philadelphia, objected to the use of their name and trademark. Wes Eisold has a voice from the primordial slime and Tim Cossar and Brian Masek use their guitars like lethal weapons. Oh boy they're nasty. It's fast-paced, heavy music with throaty vocals and intense, angry lyrics. A blend of traditional hardcore, punk and metal that takes no prisoners and expects no mercy.