There is a well-worn phrase used in describing a certain passage of play in a cricket One Day International: the boring middle overs. Also, there’s a witticism about how novels work: the start, the end and the muddle. I sincerely hope the same could not be applied to the central reaches of this year’s Festive Forthy.
In fact, there’s plenty of new acts to get one’s teeth into, rounded out by a couple of stalwarts in Sparks with their idiosyncratic portrayal of a 1-day old child petitioning to return to his mother’s womb, and Beach House with their trademark languorous shoegaze drone.
Elsewhere there’s classic post-punk from Wombo, Daughter and Cola, while Grian Chatten breaks free from his parent post-punk group; chilled-out dance music from Yune Pinku; a blast of psychedelia from Duster; Broadcast-style electronica from the excellent Vanishing Twin; beautiful moments of reflection from Winter and Jana Horn; and elsewhere intriguing innovative moves from Models/Actriz and Water From Your Eyes.
Boring middle overs! What can possibly top this, more like. Well, presumably the 14 tracks which will become available in a week’s time.
Tracklist:
27. Nothing is as good as they say it is, Sparks
26. Slab, Wombo
25, Fairlies, Grian Chatten
24. The Weed Supreme, Duster
23. Crossing Guard, Models/Actriz
22. Sunday, Winter
21. Party, Daughter
20. Barley, Water From Your Eyes
19. Afternoon X, Vanishing Twin
18. Sports, Yune Pinku
17. Days go by, Jana Horn
16. At pace, Cola
15. Devil’s pool, Beach House