It's time to clear a backlog of reviews. Those CDs soon pile up, you know. A pretty mundane bunch this time except for this 3 track EP from Glasgow Foxgang. Seems they were formed by and American and an Englishman whilst living and Poland and they sort of ended up in Glasgow. That unusual background might well contributed to the quirkiness on show.
Starting off "Leith Walk", this tries to fool you into thinking it is nothing more than a bit of eighties electro pop. Then you listen to the lyrics. You hear things like "… I'd like to shower you with Red Bull" and you realise that you are actually hearing a demented song about being drunk. It is certainly fair to compare Foxgang to contemporaries such as Punch and the Apostles. Only there are a variety of public order offences to be taken into consideration.
There is no return to conventionality to be seen in "Harbour". An equally skewed song but this time with near Beefheartian qualities. It's on the same plane of reality as the rest of us but only just. "My Friends" starts off as pretty conventional guitar driven indie pop before, once again, heading off in its own headstrong manner. I hate to say it but this one reminded me of Morrissey but with the self pity replaced by the kind of unwholesome sordidness that the Pogues had.
Unlike so many bands today, Foxgang have a sense of musical adventure and they are therefore certainly worthy of your attention.