Best Glasgow song of the year 1: Emma Pollock - Paper and Glue
When the delgados broke up a couple of years, I was really sad because I loved them - but I completely understood. You can be critically acclaimed all you want, but that doesn't pay the bills. I saw them play in half-full houses in America a couple of times, and that's no good. Plus, after 'Universal Audio', they had nowhere to go musically, so it was as good a time as any.
So this year, co-lead-vocalist Emma Pollock returned, first with a song on the 'Ballad of the Books' compilation, which featured most of the Glasgow luminaries, and then the debut album 'Watch the Fireworks', which I'm very happy to say, was really good. Singles 'Acid Test' and 'Adrenaline' set the tone nicely, 'If Silence Means That Much to You' is sinister and angry, and 'The Optimist' ends things on a powerful note, but it's 'Paper and Glue' that has the killer-est chorus. She toured the U.S. with the New Pornographers not long ago, and there's a nice tour diary on her site. I really wish that tour had come further south than Atlanta... those jerks. As a bonus, listen to her set in D.C. on NPR as part of their great All Songs Considered live series.
[download Emma Pollock - Paper and Glue]
[Emma Pollock - myspace / official site]
[Buy 'Watch the Fireworks' UK / US]
Living out a dream I had
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Funnily enough, an Emma Pollock track topped my end of year poll over at 17 seconds, 'Adrenaline.' The album is up there for me too, even if it wasn't a huge smash.
Have seen her four times this year and interviewed her too, she is an absolutely wonderful artist.
Ed