Raymy - Oban & Gomorrah

A little unsure of himself musically, Raymy switches between dub, polka and country pastiches, all filtered through a Scottish, small town sense of humour. Ushering in a guitar solo with the priceless "you're a wee shite Lauder!", his irreverent jests – Castrate the Rapists – echo a devilish Half Man, Half Biscuit, and stand-out track We Don't Do That Kind of Thing Anymore is more upfront than the darkest moments of Aidan Moffat. To boot, it's perversely accompanied by Ivor Cutler's Life in a Scotch Sitting Room. Unfortunately, the unfocused nature of Raymy's music works against him: in merely aping his record collection, the comedic bent is overstated, preventing the songs from standing up on their own merit, especially with vocals at such a low volume. Often the pace is a little too slow to maintain attention, but still the slightly shambolic sound of one man having his fun is worth your ear for a moment or two. [Jamie Scott]