The Zephyrs

Scotland's own, The Zephyrs, have been around a bit, and having jumped labels over a number of years, in the course of things have produced some unquestionably strong material. From what I've heard of that material (which I must confess isn't much), everything on Bright Yellow… at least meets the benchmark, and to be totally blunt, never as successful or well received as their counterparts, I can see no reason why The Zephyrs don't deserve more attention given the clarity and focus they have honed on this brilliant album.

Relatively standard Americana-eque instrumentation (including some rather nice pedal steel playing) and an unusual, breathy and spacious (yet sophisticated) production lend a dreamy, ethereal quality to Bright Yellow. Interestingly, in spite of the American signifiers and Will Oldham style production, The Zephyrs retain an inherently British sound throughout, opting for the kind of rustic folkiness in their songwriting and vocal delivery one has come to expect from Alasdair Roberts.

‘Dancing Shoes', the opening track, is an arresting, string soaked marvel indicative of the magnificent nature of this great record, the stunning ‘Galacia' and the obvious single they have in ‘Nyung' with its fantastically catchy guitar and steel phrasing, simply serve to maintain my assertion that these guys are a great, if criminally unsung band.

Emotionally charged, lyrically insightful, and musically focussed, both The Zephyrs and Bright Yellow Flowers On A Dark Double Bed are fantastic.