The man formerly behind the punk group The Bed (1999-2005) and psych-folk England & The April (2005-2007), Glen Strachan has a new solo “mini-album” out digitally, 8 Love Rivals. “Michael Are You Breathing?” was featured on Tom Robinson’s BBC Introducing last year. The track remains the strongest example of Strachan’s style of musicianship; there is an element reminding me of Marc Bolan (T. Rex) in his vocals, some of Leonard Cohen’s poetic introspection and folksiness in the lyrics, a bit of wry darkness, enough catchy poppiness to be accessible- all is amalgamated into something quite new, as this is clearly an artist who clearly listens to, and processes creatively, an eclectic variety of music.

Each track title on 8 Love Rivals includes a name (Richard Hate, Ira, Michael, Lars, Basti, Jet Tea, Alex Chen, and Simon Rowe), adding to the theme of the songs being about people and events: this is a story-telling album, with interwoven layers of sound (the quaint flute appearing from time to time; particularly note “Alex Chen”) and irresistable melodies (“Iva Vs The Tram”). Clocking in at just 20 minutes, it is a powerful indicator of Glen Strachan’s talent and holds a lot of promise for his future music.

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