Iain Shaw - Untitled EP

Judging by his MySpace page, it’s clear Iain Shaw is not blessed with deep reserves of bravura. Describing his style as like ‘someone trying to rip off Death Cab for Cutie while pretending to play guitar like Jose Gonzales’, the Lewis-born singer is plainly a self-deprecating sort. He needn’t be so hard on himself. Recorded in a Hebridean bedroom back in April, this four song salvo of covers is a simple and sunny yet sad antidote to the breathless hype of prevailing musical trends. Shaw’s version of Blitzkrieg Bop is a reminder of how refined The Ramones’ mastery of melody was. A take on Just Like Heaven by The Cure is equally impressive and the EP ends with Shaw’s winsome tones wringing the pathos from Pete Seeger’s classic anti-suburbia nursery rhyme, Little Boxes. Utterly charming.