Mull Historical Society at The Arches Review

Mull Historical Society
at The Arches (Glasgow)
Celtic Connections Festival

www.celticconnections.com
www.colinmacintyre.com

Reviewed by Lorna Templeton

A quietly brilliant fixture of the Scottish indie scene for some 13 years now, Colin MacIntyre is a man of many talents and just about as many monikers.

Having released two of his most recent albums under his own name, he’s reverted to the Mull Historical Society calling card with which he launched himself into the wider consciousness back in the early 2000s.

This show saw him perform the first MHS album, Loss, in its entirety. Penned in the aftermath of the sudden death of his father Kenny, a highly-regarded BBC Scotland correspondent, the album moves effortlessly between wistful recollection (Only I; Instead) and more upbeat numbers (Watching Xanadu; Animal Cannabus). Add a sheen of island colour and humour and you’ve a polished piece of work that still manages to maintain a pleasing rawness.

The Arches, with its intimate but unhurried vibe, is the perfect setting to show it off. The night ends with a sprinkling of tracks from other albums, as well as an outing for new single Keep Falling, which is set to feature on the forthcoming Greatest Hits.

A really enjoyable evening all round, perfectly complimented by a support performance from the wonderful Siobhan Wilson.

And it’s not often you see a man wielding a chainsaw in the middle of Glasgow with entirely friendly motives! Nice touch that – inviting a chap (Sonny) from a local hardware store to provide an unusual, but uncannily effective, bit of percussive accompaniment to the beautifully melancholic Barcode Bypass.

Rating: 5/5 

Celtic Connections is the largest annual winter music festival of its kind and the UK’s premier celebration of Celtic music. For more information or to book tickets visit www.celticconnections.com.