60s-influenced jangly guitar pop.

11 MP3 Songs
POP: British Pop, POP: 60's Pop



Details:
Of all the debut albums released in 2007, few will come from artists boasting Roy Moller's pop experience. A regular collaborator with Belle & Sebastian guitarist Stevie Jackson, the Glasgow songwriter has had a hand in some of the last decade's most esteemed pop albums (and even had a song written about him (Belle & Sebastian's "Roy Walker"). Now, however, Moller is stepping out of the shadows and laying bare 11 of his most personal and powerful songs.

Primarily a 60s-influenced pop record, Speak When I'm Spoken To bursts with sunny melodies and bright guitars. Meanwhile, hearty injections of soul, strings and groove lend the album an understated maturity that's impossible to resist. Delicate touches â backwards guitar lines, layered backing vocals and intermittent keyboard stabs â also add depth and character to the record.

But Moller's the first to admit his vision could not have been realised without help from some of Glasgow's finest. Stevie Jackson and fellow Belle & Sebastian member Bobby Kildea play on a sprinkling of tunes (most notably "Speak When I'm Spoken To" and "First You Fall In Love"), while Jackson also assists with production. Elsewhere, Moller enlists the likes of Gary Thom (The Moondials, Astrid), Zac Ware (The Proclaimers), Irish troubadour Sporting Hero, Bill Wright (The Wow Kafe) and Ulric Kennedy (Golden Dawn) to enhance the album's rich musical palette. Even photographer Martin Gray, responsible for the striking cover art, shares vocal duties on "Great Wall Of China".

Despite input from a number of sources, Speak When I'm Spoken To holds together remarkably well. A cohesive excursion through lush, harmony-soaked pop, it's Moller's first release on Manchester-based label Book Club Records and follows limited edition vinyl singles on the Felicite, Pickled Egg and Heliotone imprints.

It may have been a while coming, but Speak When I'm Spoken To is well worth the wait.