Aidan Moffat straps it on again

I have to say that it came as big shock when Arab Strap hung up their straps back in 2006. Luckily for us though, its two members are just too musically inclined to stay out of our ears forever. Last month, Aidan Moffat (one half of the Arab duo), along with a new backing band named the Best-Ofs, released his latest project, the instructionally titled How To Get To Heaven From Scotland. And while I'm not in Scotland currently or planning on going to Scotland in the near future, nor am I planning on heading to Heaven any time soon, I've warmly received the album into my ears.

The album opens with Lover's Song, a brooding dirge with backing whistles and what sounds like someone beat-boxing. It picks up with the second cut, Big Blonde (which you can check out below), but retains Aidan's distinctively level vocals that sound depressed regardless of what he's singing. Needless to say, he's still got a sense of humor that sneaks across if you're paying attention. Here's Aidan explaining the males' fascination with the fairer sex on Oh Men!:

now i don't think we're all the same
but i think there's few exceptions
yes we all love to lech
we're all slave to the erections

and they say we don't grow up
though we all just need our mothers
and they've maybe got a point
but listen to me brothers

we can all claim it's just our nature
we can swear it's just our way

For those fellow listeners who miss the Strap, this album will certainly help fill that void as it carries the off-kilter Scottish folk torch temporarily dropped a few years ago.

Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs - Big Blonde : How To Get To Heaven From Scotland
(watch the video)

Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs - Oh Men! : How To Get To Heaven From Scotland

Visit his website and his label Chemikal Underground Records.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Arab Strap - Why Can't This Be Love (Van Halen cover) : The Shy Retirer EP