I'll admit that I haven't really followed Pictish Trail so far. The band, fronted by Johnny Lynch, has been making spry and inventive indie-pop that owes as much to, say, The Beta Band, as it does to anything contemporary. Thumb World, the newest album from the outfit, drops on Fire Records on Friday and its delights are numerous.
"Double Sided" is full of hints of the Betas, while the more supple "Pig Nice" reminds one of stuff like The Soft Machine, early Floyd, and even Nick Drake. Of course, Lynch is not attempting to sound like Nick Drake, but his vocals are warm and sufficiently folk-y as to hit at a similar vibe, even if the music is far more idiosyncratic. Elsewhere, "Slow Memories" is anchored by warm keyboard-washes, even as the more abrasive "Fear Anchor" pushes things closer to the Furries than anything else I can think of right now.
Thumb World sees Lynch take real risks, even if a few numbers here ("Heart Eyes", "Turning Back"), didn't seem as successful to me. Lynch keeps things interesting, but when the tunes are too reliant on percussive samples, the sound seems less original and intriguing. But that could just be my opinion. On the whole, Thumb World is recommended, especially the first half of the record.
Thumb World is out on Friday via Fire Records.
More details on Pictish Trail via the official website.
[Photo: Fire Records]