Bricolage - Bricolage

Thu 5th Mar, 2009 in Music Reviews

Glasgow has long been synonymous with great indie-pop. Indeed, some of the finest purveyors of the genre have come from the Scottish city, with the quality of bands being so fine that you merely need to namedrop a few: Snow Patrol, Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian, The Fratellis and more recently, Franz Ferdinand.

Falling somewhere in the more recent end of the spectrum are relative newcomers, Bricolage. Since coming onto the scene in 2006 the four-piece, comprising singer-guitarists Graham Wann and Wallace Meek, bassist and keyboardist Darren Cameron and drummer Colin Kearney, have already caused a stir in their hometown with a slew of gigging (including a coveted support slot for peers Franz Ferdinand) and the release of three acclaimed singles.

Bricolage’s self-titled debut is an accumulation of these three years of hard work. Sitting comfortably somewhere between Franz Ferdinand’s disco-esque sonics and Teenage Fanclub’s simplistic indie-pop sensibility, Bricolage’s music charms and enlivens from first listen. At its core, their sound is basic and uncomplicated; but it’s the simplistic and undemanding nature of their songs which makes the album so easy to embrace. Relying on catchy guitar riffs, happy singable melodies and infectious hooks, Bricolage rarely diverge from the standard guitar-bass-drums (though hints of Hammond organ, piano and instrumentation sneak in and out), choosing to boost their music with classic and the more organic “ba bas”, “la la las”, hand-claps and sonorous harmonies.

Bricolage’s sound is undoubtedly Glaswegian, with hints of the city’s more influential acts being worn on their knitted cardigan sleeves. Catchy opener Bayonet and charming track The Spoilsport’s Report have a Fratellis-esque twang, while leading single Flowers of Deceit’s bright hooks sounds a little like a stripped-back Franz Ferdinand. Bricolage may not own their sound, but they certainly wear it without trouble. Tracks like the fuzzy up-tempo Footsteps, the joyous (and cutely titled) Looting Takes the Waiting Out of Wanting and the instantly warming On the Omnibuses – also featuring one of the album’s most singable choruses – are all melodically infectious and quirkily enjoyable.

Wonderfully fun and uplifting, this is a worthy introduction to one of Scotland’s newest young acts. For Bricolage it’s definitely still early days – but their sonic liveliness, coupled with their strong melodic sensibility, brims with promise for the future. Long live Glaswegian pop!

Bricolage is out now on Popfrenzy Records.