The Just Joans – Romantic Visions of Scotland

Like a sausage supper or a good slug of whisky, The Just Joans will keep you warm during these dark winter months. One of Scotland's greatest indie bands, they've been around for two decades, and their latest LP mixes their trademark sardonic humour with a new year music cocktail of Blur, The Kinks, Elastica and The Lightning Seeds.

Led by siblings David and Katie Pope, The Just Joans’ latest album, Romantic Visions of Scotland, is about “mundane failings, bitter regrets and missed opportunities”, perfect for those January blues. There are great titles like Strictly Presbyterian, Here Come The Rugby Boys and Drinking On a Weeknight and whipsmart lyrics like Back On the Meds’ 'I started crying in the chip shop / Do you want salt and vinegar?’

This is gold star indie-pop but with none of the affected feyness of Belle & Sebastian. From the stomp of album opener Think Fast, Make Conversation to electro banger Romantic Visions (Prepare For Disappointment), this is librarian louche with muscle. See for yourself when they play Glasgow Mono on 23 January and Edinburgh’s Wee Red Bar on the 30th.

Listen to: Limpet, Back On the Meds, The Day We Missed the Train