Caledonian Gothic (Fiend 1)

The first of three quite remarkable collections of unreleased material from Brendan O'Hare, Caledonian Gothic shows that the general career arc that took him from Teenage Fanclub to Telstar Ponies and Mogwai had a perfect match in his own music. There's little here that calls to mind Big Star or anything easily hummable, though; if this was always O'Hare's goal in music, it's little surprise he ended up leaving Teenage Fanclub when he did. The title is aptly chosen — while not "goth" music in the stereotypical sense of the word, Caledonian Gothic does have a heavily dramatic flash to show. Compositions are split between instrumental and vocal numbers, incorporating everything from rough, quick bursts of feedback rhythm to moodier numbers not that far from Mogwai's similar sense of low-key threat. There's even an acoustic chiller or two, like the sepulchral acid folk tinge of "Huon Pine Song," with O'Hare's singing strained and ghostly, while "Compressor" is practically angst-laden screaming punk rock. "Ghost Kanal," the first full track, acts as a straightforward statement of purpose; the Ponies make the best comparison point in terms of building, edgy aggression and plenty of space all at once, but the effect is even more unsettling. Meanwhile, "Voyager" and "Origin and Purpose" make for a wonderful combination, the former's slightly Main-touched doomy guitar shards giving way to the steady, narcotic beats of the latter, almost sounding like Muslimgauze with guitars — a striking result. Other strong cuts abound: "Brittle Horse Pt. 1 and 2" in particular is a marvelous piece of dreamy, drony psych that's both beautiful and a touch unnerving, with O'Hare's soft calls and cries floating through the electric haze in the first part. Then he adds some extra guitar mania for the conclusion, ending everything in a total sonic blast.