Singles

French Wives - Me Vs Me

Chris Tapley 13/06/2010

Rating: 4/5

There is a veritable shit load of quality bands coming out of Scotland at the moment, so much so that trying to keep track of them can become an arduous task at times. Whilst many of them are worthy of attention, there are a few bands whose names' are being mentioned so incessantly that you know, to stand out in such a crowded and talented scene, must be a little bit special. French Wives are one of those bands, and they're starting to sound like a band who might be starting to stand out a little more than the rest.

They have only released one double A single to date, the incredibly good 'Halloween/Dog Fight' back in November, and now they're following it up with this new single. The frantic enthusiasm with which 'Me Vs Me' starts is, in itself, enough to wipe a grin across my face, especially when it then settles down in to an irresistible groove. This is supplemented with Stuart Dougan's dulcet vocals and wonderfully listless lyricism such as "lately my face finds it doesn't smile sometimes, I think my body's giving up on me." This band seem incredibly skilled in crafting interesting and memorable pop songs, and the combination of swooning strings and frantic drums are a bit like Belle and Sebastian at break neck speed. The second track 'Hyndland Weather Bear' is a much more restrained piece, and as a result loses a little of the excitement which makes the first so great, but it's a calming track with a wonderfully sparse arrangement.

French Wives are undoubtedly one of the most exciting bands in Scotland at the moment, as anybody who's seen them live will concur, and if they continue to release tracks of such quality then that excitement can only continue to spread.