If you really need to recover from such a day I prescribe “The Island” or "Left Hand Wave". If they don’t ignite the imagination then I’m afraid there’s little hope for you.
The scene is set from the outset with “The Howling”. The darkness of “Burial Sounds” hooks you deeply before the driving “Folk Song Oblivion” begins to lay any lingering resistance to rest. Somehow it all just soaks into your subconscious and by the time “Crocodile” assaults the senses said resistance is futile.
The curious mix of styles that weaves it’s magic to form “Left Hand Wave” soothes the way towards the album’s centrepiece “The Island”. It arrives almost unexpectedly and proves that you simply can’t double guess The Phantom Band. Its hymnal qualities provide nearly nine minutes of comparatively straight brilliance.
The excellent intro to “Throwing Bones” launches a track with more unexpected twists than a highland road. “The Whole Is On My Side” brings the strange journey to an end leaving you feeling somewhat bemused and yet strangely satisfied in equal measure. It is rather like a late night film that you don’t quite understand and yet you can’t bring yourself to switch off for fear of missing the next scene.
Checkmate Savage is in danger of failing to escape from Glasgow and is an album that is more than worthy of a far wider attention. I just can’t stop playing the damn thing.
There we have it, a whole range of diversity to delve into. I hope you enjoyed this jolly jaunt through the landscape of European music. Thanks for reading. Please follow the links in each article for more information on whatever takes your fancy.
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