EMMA POLLOCK THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS Chemikal Underground Released 01/03/2010.
There was much bewailing on the announcement of The Delgados split in 2005 – as well as producing chamber pop masterpieces such as ‘The Great Eastern’ the band had been central to the Scottish music scene renaissance of the early 90’s with the founding of their Chemikal Underground label. Delgados fans needn’t have fretted though as Chemikal Underground continues to exist and is releasing music from, among others, former Delgados vocalist Emma Pollock, who’s solo sound is not a million miles away from that of her former band. The album opens in tip top form, ‘Hug The Harbour’ and especially ‘I Could Be A Saint’ are as good as anything on the last few Delgados albums, both feature snaking song structures that coil and twist unpredictably with impressively muscular drumming and heavy bass lines prominent. Nothing else quite matches those tracks but the maturer sound of ‘Hate’ or ‘Universal Audio’ is echoed in the piano pop of ‘House On The Hill’ (co-written with Kim Edgar) and the fizzy, hook laden ‘Confessions’; that said the jazzy ‘Nine Lives’ does prompt a move away from any previous signature sound.
VOGELENZANG RANK : 6.90
Sample Track: Emma Pollock ‘Hug The Harbour’
V O G E L E N Z A N G R A N K S S T A N D I N G S - March 2010
- 7.45 – Spoon ‘Transference’ (Anti) 25/01/2010
- 7.29 – Gorillaz ‘Plastic Beach’ (EMI) 08/03/2010
- 7.15 – Drive By Truckers ‘The Big To Do’ (PIAS) 15/03/2010
- 7.13 – Four Tet ‘There Is Love In You’ (Domino) 25/01/2010
- 7.08 – Watson Twins ‘Talking To You, Talking To Me’ (Welk) 08/02/2010
- 7.00 - Lawrence Arabia ‘Chant Darling’ (Bella Union) 04/01/2010
- 6.92 – Built To Spill ‘There Is No Enemy’ (ATP) 15/02/2010
- 6.92 – Holly Golighty And The Brokeoffs ‘Medicine County’ (Damaged Goods) 29/03/2010
- 6.90 – Emma Pollock ‘The Law Of Large Numbers’ (Chemikal Underground) 01/03/2010
- 6.80 – Archie Bronson Outfit ‘Coconut’ (Domino) 01/03/2010
- 6.79 – The Congos ‘Back In The Black Ark’ (Wrasse) 22/03/2010
- 6.71 – Adam Green ‘Minor Love’ (Rough Trade) 11/01/2010
- 6.70 – Massive Attack ‘Heligoland’ (Virgin) 08/02/2010
- 6.69 – RJD2 ‘The Colossus’ (Electrical Connections) 01/02/2010
- 6.69 – Charlotte Gainsbourg ‘IRM’ (Because) 25/01/2010
- 6.60 – Johnny Cash ‘American VI – Ain’t No Grave’ (Mercury) 22/02/2010
- 6.55 – Scout Niblett ‘The Calcination of Scout Niblett’ (Drag City) 18/01/2010
