Release Date: Jan 23, 2012
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Record label: Xtra Mile Recordings
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After releasing two albums under his own name, Scottish troubadour Colin MacIntyre reverts back to his more familiar Mull Historical Society guise for his sixth release, City Awakenings. Described as a love letter to the three cities that have shaped his ten-year output (Glasgow, London, New York), this re-acquaintance with his old alias is perhaps explained by the fact that its 12 tracks hark back to the bedsit indie pop of 2001 debut Loss rather than the stripped-back acoustics of 2009 predecessor Island. Indeed, despite teaming up with Grammy-winning producer Dom Morley (Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson) for the first time, there's a clear sense of McIntyre reliving his early days, whether it's through the nostalgic acoustic folk of "Fold Out City," the melodic Idlewild-esque "Honey Pie," and the driving Brit-pop of opener "Must You Make Eyes at Me Now," or the several '80s influences that creep in through the likes of the quirky post-punk of "For Bas, The Hague," the jangly Sundays-ish melancholy of "The Lights," and the new wave pop of closer "Who Would Have Known?" The lackluster "You Can Get Better" and the generic pop-punk of "Can You Let Her Know" drift into indie landfill territory, while MacIntyre's quirky lyrics don't always hit their mark.