Wake The President - You Can't Change That Boy

There’s a familiarity to Wake the President’s debut album, partly due to its relative belatedness - some songs have been in record collections and the band’s repertoire for years - and partly due to their much-remarked upon resemblance to their musical heroes. There’s no ignoring the echoes of Felt, Orange Juice and other favourits of the National Pop League - Glasgow’s sadly departed club night for those who prefer dancing to Camera Obscura in modest surroundings to braving the lairy gauntlet of Sauchiehall Street, and in whose memory the album is dedicated. But such comparisons shouldn’t be misconstrued as veiled critique - the band wear their influences lightly and with pride, as opposed to slavishly aping the tried-and-tested and hoping that similitude alone will suffice. And then there’s the record’s personable, informal brand of familiarity - the breezy intimacy by which the album is elevated into the indie-pop pantheon it aspires to. [Chris Buckle]