Spinning Coin - Hyacinth

Glasgow's Spinning Coin first emerged about five years back with a splendid run of singles and a debut album Permo that sparkled and jangled as if there was no tomorrow. That LP came out in 2017 and they're just making their return with their second  Hyacinth, an indication that they might have been rethinking their approach somewhat during their time away. A cursory listen to the new record suggests strongly that this has indeed been the case.

While Permo was a refreshing and easy listen, it was always pretty clear where they were coming from and what their primary influences were. Postcard Records, to put it briefly, and more succinctly early Orange Juice, Hyacinth is a more sophisticated beast. Although they maintain their initial winsome appeal there is much more going on here. In short, they've matured, in an admirable, impressive and somewhat surprising way.

The songs still jangle and have the same brittle texture that made the band stand out in the first place. But during their sabbatical they have taken care to grow their own skin. While these songs are still evocative of the early eighties independent spirit of Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Josef K, The Go Betweens  and The Pale Fountains, and later carriers of the torch, June Brides, Pastels and Vaselines there's also a growing confidence and dare I say it, backbone here, and a coherence and intelligence to how the record unwraps its charms song by song that seems to promise that this will prove one of the Independent guitar records of the year.

There's a good deal of transient beauty on display here. The trembling fragility of the delivery of vocalists Jack Mellie, Sean Armstrong and Rachel Taylor hints at hearts that always suspect they're about to be broken by the world. Calling the album after one of the most delicate flowers of all seems like an apt move. Everything here seems aware of the ephemeral nature of being. Spinning Coin. Catch them while their still spinning although Hyacinth is good enough to suggest that they may have some staying power despite all their protestations to the contrary.