One too many episodes of Doctor Who and you start believing in things like time travel. Especially when you've just heard something like this album from Sweeney Straddles The Sun and, though it would seem this is actually a one man band, you have to admire the scope of this album. Retro seems to be evolving into the future.
Many of the songs have a psychedelic sixties' feel overlaid with C86 indie pop lo-fi sensibilities. You don't have to go too far into this album to find evidence of that such as "Carried Away By Melody" or "Bwyda Fi Agwedd". It's not all like that though. There are unexpected right turns like "Castlemilk Town Hall Disco" which - depending on how you take it - is either social commentary or a sentiment filled history lesson delivered in an offbeat white boy rap style. Another rapid change of direction to oddball electronica happens with "Bunraku Hallucinations" that evokes urban nightmares of a more oriental kind before the sequenced simplicity of "HBS" takes over.
I have to admit to liking this album. It has its problems - it is disjointed, at times a touch pretentious and the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired but Sweeney Straddles The Sun displays far more imagination and style than I have come to expect of a Scottish band these days. Certainly worth your attention though and I'll be keeping this one man band on my radar as well.