Falkirk's finest will have to go some to surpass 2024's i'm totally fine with it don't give a fuck anymore, but the first taster of forthcoming ninth album Half-Told Tales holds enormous promise. What starts out faintly reminiscent of 'You Got The Love' ends with Malcolm Middleton delivering arguably the chunkiest riff of the duo's career. Aidan Moffat, who's astutely referred to it as "a sort of disco-metal incantation", may spend some time bemoaning the ageing process but he remains untouchable as a lyricist.
Also out in September, on the reliably excellent Rocket Recordings, is Gnoomes' Losey, and appetite-whetter 'Foreign Agent' morphs blissfully from Stereolab into Spacemen 3.
3. 'Love's Easy Tears' - Cocteau Twins
Did someone say "blissful"? 'Love's Easy Tears' should be Exhibit A in any case to prove Cocteau Twins' proto-shoegaze credentials (as well as boasting perfectly minimal Mo Tucker via Jesus & Mary Chain drums).
4. 'Incantations' - Ed O'Brien
On the one hand, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that much of Ed O'Brien's solo album Blue Morpho sounds distinctly like Radiohead - especially spectacular opening track 'Incantations', with its circling guitar, gentle crescendos and wordless wailing choir. But on the other, it does just go to prove how integral he is to their sound, despite focus tending to fall on Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood.
5. 'Paying For Your Love' - Broken Social Scene
This standout from Broken Social Scene's comeback record Remember The Humans might start out slowly, but it explodes into a proper heartland rock fist pumper.
6. 'My Golden Years' - The Lemon Twigs
It's taken the recent release of Look For Your Mind! to make me realise that the Lemon Twigs' previous LP A Dream Is All We Know. Lead single 'My Golden Years' is an entirely characteristic yet nonetheless magical blend of Beach Boys, Beatles and Big Star, and the Monkees-esque video underlines just what a mightily good-looking combo they are.
7. 'Reflective, Silent' - Bill Orcutt
One of the joys of tracking the post-Sonic Youth careers of the band's members is discovering the work of their collaborators. It was through power trio Orcutt Shelley Miller that I came across Bill Orcutt's solo work, though it's clear I should have known about it already. The Youthy vibe of many of the short guitar pieces on Music In Continuous Motion, including this one, struck an instant chord.
8. 'Life Inside The Hourglass' - Biita Houdei
Wonderful stuff from the artist formerly known as LePonds, for fans of the sweet 70s folk-rock vibes of Karen Carpenter and Weyes Blood.
Were there more songs on For The Love Of Grace & The Hereafter like 'Holy Water', I would have scored it more highly. It's all about those drums, and suggests that they've still got it in them to show upstarts like Lifeguard who's boss.
10. 'The Gold We're Digging' - Parts & Labor
This too is all about the drums, though in a very different way. Parts & Labor are a band that passed me by, despite being on Jagjaguwar - but now they're back, and with new music to boot.
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