bis – Slight Disconnects (Album Premiere and track-by-track)

The Glasgow band behind the killer 90s pop banger Kandy Pop, bis are readying themselves to release their fifth studio album Slight Disconnects, out this Friday 15 February via Last Night from Glasgow.

The Skinny are delighted to give you a first listen of the album via the player below (click here if it's not displaying properly), accompanied by a track-by-track breakdown from the band's own Steven Clark, aka Sci-Fi Steven.

Sound of a Heartbreak
We've gone for an upfront old-school indie banger to open with. Memories of the Chart Show's Top 10 circa 1993 mixed with a twist of XTC and a Fall middle eight. It's in the classic semi-autobiographical bismode lyrically; enjoy the irony of the 'Fresh local produce' line. We do. Notably, it features the only time-signature deviation on the whole album.

(I Wanna Go Out With) Someone Else
An immediate sonic left-turn as we go all Drinking in LA with an industrial beat or something. Something oddly Motown here, but with a lot of swearing and pounding machines. Number one song forever in a parallel world.

Dracula, You Broke My Heart
Twisty, turny electronic pop carved from the Devo rock canon for sure. Drum machine on its last legs while we shout about (surprise, surprise) vampires. The kind of stiff funk blueprint the whole album was designed from.

Home Economics
A drunken march in honour of school's greatest subject. The chorus is a big hit with the kids, and by that I mean actual children. It contains the most bonkers dual guitar solo that we've ever committed to disc.

We Dream of Canada
Time for a serious one after all that larking about. Our synth-pop roots are showing but we still have the "knack" of pulling off a big chorus (see what I did there?). It's 100% a Brexit song now, although I'm pretty sure the lyrics predate that whole fiasco. If we had the £10k spare, this would be our Jools Holland song.

This Slight Disconnect
This is probably everything we're meant to sound like. John [Clark, aka John Disco] flings in the odd Townshend windmill over a strict groove borrowed from largely forgotten mid-noughties wizards Clor. Furiously nagging overall. Was very pleased to stick in the cowbell from Infected by The The here, it's the wee things that keep me going.

Hot Dog at the Rock Cafe
An unashamed nostalgia piece about the faded Scottish seaside towns of Argyll and Ayrshire over era-related piano breaks and drum loops. An affectionate punch rather than pastiche. I've just realised how Django Django that intro vocal is though. A personal favourite, taken from a folder marked "Scotland 1990" – perhaps more will follow.

There is No Point (Other Than the Point That There is No Point)
Already a live favourite, even though we haven't played it yet (sometimes you just know), it's a frantic romp through Blur, Bowie and The Damned but with Manda [Rin, aka Amanda MacKinnon] on full riot mode. There's even time for an electro section and a panoramic middle eight. It's been kicking about the "to-do" list for a while and I still don't think we understand it.

Combination Rock
Spare, catchy as sin and slightly heartbreaking, this takes us into the melancholy climax of the record. Disco paints Andy Partridge big style here with a chorus to die for. Probably the bis song you'd want to play to non-believers. Every band has one. Well, nearly every band.

The Big Sunshine
A melody that's needed a home since 1997 finally finds one in this epitaph to one of our nearest and dearest. Manda puts in a career-best vocal over a subtly building motorik Stereolab beat which fans of our forgotten third album will revel in. If singles were still a thing, this would be our The Power of Love after Sound of a Heartbreak's Relax and (I Wanna Go Out With) Someone Else's Two Tribes. We still have our fingers on the pulse.

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Slight Disconnects is released on 15 Feb via Last Night from Glasgow
Bis play three launch shows in Glasgow this weekend at The Glad Cafe, 15 Feb; The Old Hairdressers, 16 Feb; The Hug & Pint, 17 Feb