You might expect “the Scottish Leonard Cohen”s album based around a 15 year relationship to be a less-than-cheery one.
And you could be right – “Sid James always gets the girl” croons Martin J. Smith over a doo-wop backing on the first of 12 tracks, and there is the sense that things may not go to plan.
However, there’s cheer and hope in the delivery of co-vocalist Nora Noonan on the perky, punky follower ‘You Held Me’. As our story unfolds, musical styles shift, seemingly chronologically, as we arrive at the Pulp-style dark electropop and reflective mood of ‘We Used To Run Around’ and spaghetti-glam stylings on ‘The Final Shot’.
But it seems for Smith and his talented cohorts that things resolve themselves on closer ‘You Are Everything’ – a stomping indiepop anthem as Noonan sweetly sings “there will always be a me and you”. Happy every after, after all. for Smith and his talented cohorts
‘Temps’ is out now. This review originally appeared in the Motherwell Times.