Bogbain Farm, Inverness, 13 November 2010

HAVING released their second album, Let Me Come Home, late last month on the ultra-hip 4AD to a genuinely impressive reception, Edinburgh-based sextet Broken Records proved a huge draw as they brought their spirited indie-folk to a chilly Bogbain Farm in Inverness.

Broken Records

Broken Records are at the vanguard of a fine crop of Edinburgh acts who have gained wider attention in recent years, including the excellent Meursault, Withered Hand and tonight’s opening act, Eagleowl.

Eagleowl’s somnolent, lo-fi reverie consistently sparkled with moments which were utterly sublime. Their material is suffused with gorgeous harmonies as it shifts from subtle and sparse to dense and layered, all delivered with a languid, understated charm which is deeply engaging. A particular highlight was the beautifully dreamy ‘Sleep The Winter’.

Broken Records, by contrast, instantly burst with a charged urgency and for the most part of a well-weighted set, they remained there. Their newer material sounded particularly powerful, packed with big, bold, iridescent instrumentation, which at times sounded simply huge, while skilfully never becoming overbearing or impenetrable, allowing frontman Jamie Sutherland’s muscular baritone to shine throughout.

Since the early buzz, Broken Records have boasted a smart and inventive stylistic quality, but with their latest offering, they appear to have found stronger artistic coherence, and the result is a fresh and original boundary-blurring aesthetic which shifts almost seamlessly across genres.

They did threaten musical pomposity on a couple of occasions, but this was neutralized by the sheer conviction of their delivery, and the credibility and quality of Sutherland’s performance throughout.

In terms of stand-outs, recent single ‘A Darkness Rises Up’ was immediately captivating and sounded particularly impressive, but during a predominately keyed-up affair, it was paradoxically the stripped-down ‘I Used To Dream’ which at once provided the most affecting moment of the evening, and best illustrated the quality and depth of Sutherland’s voice.

At their most accomplished, Broken Records boast a maturity of talent, originality and strength of craft  which threatens something great; and Let Me Come Home and tonight’s performance acted to illustrate just how close they are getting. Outstanding.

© Alexander Smith, 2010

Links

• Broken Records

• Eagleowl