Cloth – Cloth

A debut album is an artistic setting out of the stall, and Glasgow trio Cloth have taken their time to come to it, even as eye-watering hype swirled since their formation three years ago. The self-titled first record they’ve arrived upon is moody and assured, with flashes of brilliance that offer a glimpse at an even more promising future.

With Swinton twins Rachael and Paul, and Clare Gallacher on drums, Cloth’s default setting is hushed and starry alt-rock with a bubbling undercurrent of an electronic groove. The record is least satisfying when this blurs into a vibe miasma – the pleasant mid-tempo bounce of the final two tracks running into each other without event. But that makes the moments of standout even more exciting.

It may be a familiar early single, but Demo Love is the best example. Beginning by wrong-footing the listener and then flourishing quickly into an indie-pop stunner akin to Soccer Mommy’s Cool – it's confident and glistening. Sleep’s minor tones could be introducing a Julien Baker emo ballad, later threatening to soar into a Tycho drop, though never does, leaving its more immediate pleasures untapped. It’s a special trick that the song feels better for it. Curiosity Door’s wedding bells opening pulls back into a cinematic and noirish Chromatics slow burner.

Tripp’s bopping synthetic beat butts in between latter half tracks that feel a little under-developed, breaking up any lingering monotony. That is thankfully short lived here – Cloth is an impressive first stab for a band worth getting behind.

Listen to: Felt, Demo Love, Tripp