LABEL BIOG
Debut album Flambeaux released August 29th 2011 (Tirk Recordings).
Molly Wagger are a Scottish 4 piece consisting of lead singer Charlie
Denholm, brother James on Guitar, David Ayre on Bass and Edward Hulme
Guitar. The quartet write melancholy but thoughtful songs with a streak of cold
Edinburgh winter running through them.
The lads spent several weeks last summer holed up in Muirhead studio, in the
glorious and green region of Scotland recording the album under the watchful
production hands of Sam Annand (of future beats outfit Architeq) and
Robin Sutherland. Sam’s analog desk and space echoes are deployed (as
well as his mercurial skill) to full effect.
Album opener is the expansive “Weight”, a song in two halves which builds
into a expansive Sigur Ros style mountain-shot soundtrack. Next up “Steve”
is a galloping foot stomper of a tune driven by acoustic guitars and a variety of
drums styles culminating with a full on house beat towards the end, thanks to
the incredible talent of drummer Scott Donald. “Low”, begins with all the spirit
of a cold, grey, student flat in darkest Leith but builds into the slightly-epic
crescendo driven by a tear-jerking string arrangement.
Recent single “Weekend”, is up next. Last summer it did pretty well and has
featured on 3 compilations so far. Its piano providing a somber-but-uplifting
album gear change. “Able Mable” is as happy as it gets in the Molly camp,
Sam nurses the drum and synth driven sunspot on the album. “The Quiet
One” is one of the bands oldest songs and has one of the coolest opening
lyrics we have heard in a long time…
“I had a dream about a girl with an eye on her forehead”.
“Delilah” fills the acoustic sweet-moment song before we head for the closing
legs of the album. “Zuma” puts the spotlight on Charlie’s distinctive mellow
vocals and layers them upon a delicate drum-machine led, chordal soundbed.
We save one of the best until last with the “Muito Bem” , soaring vocal
harmonies, big production and a just enough left-field quirkiness to make it a
touchstone example of the album as a whole.
Molly Wagger have recently taken the Kings Shilling and moved to the big
smoke of London. Look out for them on the live circuit.
“Flambeaux is perfect for Sunday mornings” (Mixmag)
‘Edinburgh’s best kept secret, eccentric six-piece Molly Wagger combine the musicality and sophistication of Arcade Fire, with the electronic verve and vocal vulnerability of The Postal Service. With bloggers and music fans eulogising them already, Molly Wagger are without doubt one of Scotland’s most promising new bands’ (the scottish enlightenment)
‘…an eight-piece who like compatriots Broken Records know their way round an explosively wide-screen sonic window and like other compatriots Meursault make a point of integrating electronic noise-scapes with traditional song-smithery…. there’s comfortably enough about them all to justify keeping a close eye as after a little while labouring under ‘best kept secrets’ tags they could be about to leap the chasm into wider approval if they get their proper recordings just right’ (Sweeping the Nation)
