After spending years as a solo artist, Edinburgh-based songwriter Leo Bargery has over time recruited a range of musicians to form his current collective Mt Doubt. Now, following critically acclaimed albums In Awe Of Nothing and My Past Is A Quiet Beast, he’s released a brand new EP.
A thought-provoking collection of five tracks, The Loneliness Of The TV Watchers reflects on a sense of disillusionment and the banality of everyday life. From the whirring melodies and emotion-filled splendour of opening track ‘Natural Swimmer’, and the heartfelt majesty and twinkling lyrical grace of ‘Purity’, to the dark, soaring energy of EP highlight ‘Reference Books’, each track showcases Bargery’s distinctive deep drawl and impassioned spirit.
Reminiscent of the likes of The National or even the dark emotion of Lambchop, The Loneliness Of The TV Watchers is filled with one spine-tingling ballad after another. As the delicate phrasing and rich melancholy of ‘Soft Furnishings’ flows from the speakers, for example, your heartstrings can’t help but be tugged in all the right ways.
Closing the EP with what is perhaps its catchiest offering, ‘Tourists’ soars with rich vocal harmonies and a sweeping, impassioned fervour. Inspired by Bargery’s fear of flying, it’s a truly anthemic and subtly uplifting end to the collection.
The Loneliness Of The TV Watchers is out now via Scottish Fiction Records.