Glasvegas
Daddy's Gone

Fantastic. The only way I can begin this review is with a superlative - but then it's not every day you come across a song of this stature, and one that is surely (crystal ball being right, of course) destined for a full release on a major in the not too distant future.

Glasgow-based *Glasvegas *could be accused of being derivative - their MySpace describes them as 'Experimental/Surf/Pop' - and throughout_ 'Daddy's Gone' _there is a distinctly retro feel. It's essentially a ‘50s-tinged heartfelt ode to coping with the difficulty of the break-up of a family, with production that surely Phil Spector would be proud of.

Lyrically, it is very overt: “I won't be the lonely one sitting on my own and sad / A 50 year old reminiscing what I had”. This is typical of singer James Allan's sincere content, made all the more real by a sparse bassline, “ya ya ya ya” backing vocals and a clever arrangement. Somehow it just works.

There's not much out there right now to compare ‘Daddy’s Gone’ with, and I certainly can't name too many bands tackling such issues so openly (without sounding cheesy) in recent years, especially in a doo-wop style. The 'feel' of the song, coupled with the band's unassailable strength with melody, really makes this standout as one of the breakthrough tracks of the year.