Glasgow micro-label sans-culottes have been responsible for a series of really fine connoisseur recordings over the years. This one from INFRATHIN will appeal equally to a more general audience with a preference for the tuneful and the uplifting. Sure, it has that Glasgow edge and it takes it for granted that you have listened your way round at least the fringes of the lo-fi and independent scenes. But the underlying motivations seems to be pleasure, a love of musical sounds and a strong desire to make an emotional connection with like-minded folk.
If you have BLUE NILE, REINDEER SECTION and late NOTWIST in your often-played CD box there's going to be a place for INFRATHIN too. Different, a little further out, but very well connected. The exotic is well assimilated, releasing itself in gradual bursts of aural stimulus.
Gerry Tonner sings and takes a lead on creating and producing the musical side of things. Alan Parker does the wryly affectionate lyrics. Alex Ewing plays piano and guitar and Owen McAulay sits in on a couple of tracks with extra guitar and some co-writer credits.
There's a sense of collage, a stylistic eclecticism and an acceptance of diversity. This all speaks of, and rings with, the virtues of patience and a faith in the listener. Nothing is overstated or bludgeoned home – you get a chance to wrap yourself up in each song, but the option to wallow in a whole album of mood music is just not on offer. It's one of those albums with enough density and invention to be listened to while you do nothing else at all. The carefully rationed workout of nine songs takes a healthily trim thirty nine minutes that heightens the physical pleasure of listening.
"Look where you’re at" is a nicely worked one-to-one with just enough percussive instrumentation and electronica to make a groove. At one minute 41 it clears the ground for a bigger louder fitter following item called “caught the scent” that could easily be a stadium rock thing with big chords and multiple harmonies. Steady drumming and a scattering of tune-filled phrases among the textured litter of audio assemblage create a sound like the whole of Glasgow buzzing along in the background. “Never returned” has clanging guitar, a sampled Japanese (?) voice and Yorke-like industrial hammerings at the architectural fringes, with tunes.
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“Don’t want to know” sets off in Gary Lightbody territory with acoustic guitar and a pretty tune. But production-hat-on Gerry Toner is too canny to let it get lost in the emotional woods. In fact, on all the songs on this album there are plenty of thoughtful additions and diversions. You want to listen as well as emote, and these soundscapes give a world weary heard-it-all-before listener plenty to soak up.
“Forever war” promises to be a personal favourite, threading shifted piano, guitar, drums and breathy voices into a detached universe of studio generated noise plus the (unconscious?) BLUE NILE reference that magnifies the organic glory of specific guitar notes or piano chords. I could take this one away to keep. It’s my highlight on a superbly mature and listenable album.
But don’t forget to notice you’ve also got the love song of “space kisses” the singalong of “i want tenderness” and the YO LA TENGO goes DEATH IN VEGAS vs RADIOHEAD weirdness of “car advert”. A very well balanced offering with no blanks, and I already have it in my “most played” part of iTunes.
It's available via CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/cd/infrathin and is shown of nicely at www.islandsofsparing.com
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