Waxing Gibbous

Malcolm Middleton's 2009 album starts with a brisk as heck guitar rush of a song, "Red Travellin' Socks," which only seems appropriate for a musician who's appeared to have had endless energy to burn over the years in and out of Arab Strap. (And as is only appropriate, the song is all about hating said socks because they're all about travel and being away from his girlfriend.) With that as a killer start, Middleton and company burn through a set of excellent songs with confidence, ranging from other quick-as-hell rundowns to calm reflection. His trademark mordant wit and sharpness remain intact — the spoken word break that runs through "Carry Me" covers everything from failed dreams of partying in Rio to regretting thinking of David Bowie "as a c**t," all addressed to a dead friend or lover, to name just one example of a song. (Titles include "Ballad of F**k All" and "Love on the Run," the latter being one heck of an album ender with its conflicted sentiments about an end-of-the-line romance.) Musically there's a beautiful range at work as well, with the piano-led downbeat anthem "Stop Doing Be Good" and the brisk chug and surge of "Shadows" among the many different routes explored.