Starless

The self-titled debut album from Starless is the lushly orchestrated brainchild of Paul McGeechan, keyboard player of Love & Money from Glasgow. It's an epic and unique album, widescreen in scope and ambition, featuring such illustrious collaborators as Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile), Karen Matheson (Capercaillie), Julie Fowlis and Chris Thomson (The Bathers). McGeechan, who wrote, arranged and masterminded the project, recorded the album with the stunning Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The result is an emotional soundscape with references ranging from Ennio Morricone to The Cocteau Twins and David Sylvian. "Fuadach" provides the opening titles to this very special cinematic musical journey. It is followed by the late-night beauty of title track "Starless", sung by Paul Buchanan (Buchanan's first vocal for quite some time): "In a starless sky, one shutdown moon, here in this city, we fall in love too soon". "Whispered Reason No. 2" and "Solitude", both sung by Marie Claire Lee, recall the other-worldly beauty of Liz Fraser of The Cocteau Twins. Another great collaborator on Starless is Karen Matheson. Her beautiful voice is featured on the celestial "The Surge Of The Sea" which is sung in Gaelic. Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis provides vocals on the second Gaelic language song on the album, the ethereal "Duthaich Mhicaoidh". Chris Thomson sings the gorgeous "Misty Nights": "Sure as east meets west, she's in her summer dress, young musicians on their knees". McGeechan and Thomson were both members of legendary post-Postcard band Friends Again in the early '80s. "Within These Walls", sung by Andrew White, recalls the melancholy art-pop of early '80s Peter Gabriel. The atmospheric "Yellow Midnight" is sung by Gwen Stewart who has recorded with Sugartown. Turn the lights down low, turn up the volume and get on a trip with this very special and, yes, quite spectacular album. It's a beauty.