When Falkirk’s Viva Stereo’s member dispersed around the UK, guitarist Rob McKinlay headed north and built a studio overlooking Loch Linnie, where his 2018 debut solo album ‘Glipmse’ continued his former band’s legacy – toe-tapping rhythms, soaring choruses, searing guitars.
The follow-up is less insular DIY, involving some collaborations, including on the most subdued track here, ‘Hold A Grudge’, co-written with Gav ‘onthefly’ Brown. Overall there are less dance beats, though ‘Trajectory’ pounds like his old band, but conversely, ‘Ode to VS’ is introspective and cello-driven.
However, the anthemic ‘Towers’ and the hazy waltz of ‘Relentless’ bridge the gap between Primals-style electronic beats and ‘The Last Hippies’, McKinlay’s guitar-driven epic bolstered by Lonely Tourist for an fitting finale to a fine, eclectic collection.
This review originally appeared in the Blackpool Gazette.