Scottish Albums of the Decade #20: Malcolm Middleton - Into the Woods

Into the Woods wasn’t the Arab Strap guitarist’s first album – the quixotically titled 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine snuck out quietly in 2002. There were no singles, no massive promotional pushes, and although it was warmly received by critics, it sounded like it was perhaps made for Middleton himself rather than the listener – he had been, by his own admission, suffering from depression and illness at the time.

So the po-faced pop of Into the Woods came as a huge surprise. With tracks like Loneliness Shines, Monday Night Nothing and Burst Noel, it wasn’t exactly 45 minutes of elation, but its catchy choruses and unstoppable optimism were enough to force a smile on to the face of even the most downbeat listener. As Middleton stepped out from the gloomy fag-smoke shadow of Arab Strap, Scotland got itself an exciting new songwriter.