DON McGLASHAN AND THE SEVEN SISTERS: Marvellous Year
By Shaun Chait
With the well received ‘Warm Hand’ bringing out a somewhat solo Don McGlashan, this follow up sees him trumpeting the Seven Sisters as a full blown backing band. Not that he needs any help – McGlashan the singer, songwriter, or musician is a more than capable beast. ‘Marvellous Year’ is yet another consistent album of strong songwriting, McGlashan among the most dependable exponents of the art. The material here moves through strong pop (the Muttonbird-esque Bad Blood a glowing example), masterful darker tracks (Not Ready, 18th Day) that to my tastes are his forte, indie poprock (Radio Programmer), and country tinges (including a reclaimed and emotionally raw Bathe In The River, with a falsetto I’ve not heard from him before). As fans would expect there’s fine use of instrumentation and highly skilled musicianship from the latest backing band of choice. Lyrically and musically he conjures up bands and periods from his past, but McGlashan is always moving forward, the inclusion of a soundtrack theme and strings elsewhere both nods to more recent roads he’s been travelling. It was recorded at Roundhead Studios, produced by McGlashan along with ‘Warm Hand’ chief cohort Sean Donnelly. •
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