Stepping out as a solo artist after fronting Glasgow based band Gum, Leigh Myles' aural offering, 'Take What You Are Given', justifies name checking the impressive list of influences including Zero7 and Massive Attack.
Beginning simply with a rhythm which could be mistaken to be a dripping tap, this track is anything but Chinese water torture. Coming in with initially stark - and somehow intimately sinister - vocals, the track builds subtly using a percussion track of assorted shakers and metallic sounds. 54 seconds on and the chorus bursts upon you. At its core is a gracefully gliding bass line which is never happy to sit still under the ever-developing percussion track and all this sits atop a bed of luscious synth pad backing. Cutting back again for the second verse, the vocals are augmented this time around by a high harmony which highlights the imagination and an understanding of song structure which has gone into the making of this track.
After a second chorus which builds upon itself vocally when repeated, the track falls away completely for an eerie break. Starting with wonderfully squelchy, inhuman noises, the initial intro rhythm is re-established and augmented with snatches of treated chorus vocal before launching into the final choruses which continue to weave into multiple vocal lines, further burying a surprisingly simple hook ever deeper into your sub-conscious.
This track, even with its simple arrangement, still has enough elements to keep the casual listener interested enough to venture back again and delve into and discover the various layers which never become cluttered, even when multiple vocal tracks are vying for attention. Too dark to be dismissed as "just pop", this track and its infectious chorus are still accessible enough to be the sing along accompaniment to the journey to work. I'll be looking out for Leigh and her music again.