In terms of creative integrity the Glasgow and Edinburgh scenes that spawned the likes of Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub continue to thrive with lesser known members being able to release critically received projects of their own. The latter’s drummer Francis McDonald has previously worked with BMX Bandits, Camera Obscura, Ewdyn Collins and The Vaselines which quickly draws a complex and close-knit musical family tree. His latest release, a Creative Scotland funded chamber pop soundtrack featuring soloists from the Scottish Festival Orchestra may sound like an indulgence at tax-payers expense but for the BAFTA nominated musician it is a continued realisation of his neo-classical aspirations.
Musically, and contrary to its title, Hamilton Mausoleum Suite adopts a more traditional 11 track arrangement with ergodic sweeps and flows within and throughout. The track titles read like a narrative tour of the building so we have ‘Sarcophagus’ (delicate harp and violin), ‘Whispering Walls’ (expressive and gentle) and ’Stone Lions Lullaby’(piano led with minor scale violin). The Hamilton Mausoleum itself, situated a few miles from Glasgow on the edge of Strathclyde Park, has one of the longest man-made echoes in the world and with encouragement from museum officer Linda Barrett the album was recorded there in a day after much planning and composing. More a compositional think-piece than a classical masterpiece it’s not without its flaws but the opportunity for a working class musician to create such a composition is partly what is to be applauded here as much as the mechanical marrying of the concept and the players (Justine Watts, Stewart Webster, Emma Peebles, John Davidson and Sharon Griffiths string quartet and harp fans).
The instrumentation focuses mainly on violin and harp with the viola and cello used more for rhythmic texture much like the bass and rhythm guitars in a band.
The violin plucks on ‘11th November 2016’ (and similar nuanced playing throughout this record) show McDonald has a broader understanding of the instruments and players at his disposal. The track is the patent centrepiece and the most realised individual piece . The title is the symbolic umbrella for the rest of the album and it’s quickly followed by ‘Half Past Midnight’ which gives the listener a further insight into the recording process. A further highlight for casual listeners will be ‘The 10th Duke’’s sudden change of pace. Faster, jovial and jocular, like a Sunday night sitcom theme tune and perfect if something single or radio friendly was required although an underlying sentimental connection to the building remains. And in opening with ‘Sarcophagus’ and closing with ‘The Mausoleum’ the music takes a sort of outward spiral directionally while returning thematically and metaphorically to where it began. It’s lovely stuff and a credit to all involved.
Now, what was that joke about drummers?
Hamilton Mausoleum Suite is released on 26th January through TR7/Shoeshine Records.
