It’s a kind of occupational hazard when I think about it. Music from all around the world finds its way to Bluesbunny Towers ever y day but that very global perspective sometimes means that you miss a gem that was mined just down the road. Out of the east came such one such gem from Edinburgh collective We See Lights.
Note the use of the term collective. That word suggests a loose association but that the last thing you would think about the musicians that play on this album. They sound focused and rehearsed throughout as if they have grown as the songs have developed. Even better, there is a consistency and flow to those songs that makes “Ghosts & Monsters” something to be savoured in its entirety with highpoints being the fine female vocals on “A Call To Arms” and the self loathing collision of souls that takes place in “Parachute” (even if it led me to think that the Just Joans might well become the most influential band in Scotland). Even the simpler songs like “Knives” resonate with a warm (and literacy) that proved quite affecting.
That’s the thing about this album. You can tell that a lot of effort went into it yet it remains an unforced, natural and warming experience to listen to. When I think about it, there are a fair number of decent songwriters in Scotland but very few of them can realise their own words as effectively as We See Lights have here and, as a further commendation, they do it all in their own accent. Judging from the credits, the Scottish Arts Council part funded this release and I, for once, am happy about how my tax money got spent.
“Ghosts & Monsters” is sweet album that will bring a smile to your face and, unless you have a heart of stone, you’ll know just where We See Lights are coming from and their light does indeed shine on you.
Available from the major download sites.