Various Artists - Thank You For Being You

Nothing stirs the blood quite like a droning tartan-clad piper, right? Perhaps not entirely true - today's Scots have largely become too engrossed with their modern musical jewels to bother with such crass stereotypes and the resplendent Thank You For Being You pays staunch testament to this creative clout. Lovingly crafted by students at Glasgow Stow College, it's an enriching journey into the upper-echelons from the nation's array of musical talent, cannily juxtaposing Fire Engines' stinging post-punk classic Get Up And Use Me against the luscious twee-pop jauntiness of Belle & Sebastian's She's Losing It and Teenage Fanclub's sublime Fallen Leaves. But its not just latter day heroes that shine on this 12 track compilation; infectious, swollen melodies by Future Pilot A.K.A and the gloriously boorish How To Swim suggest a sparkling future for such youthful pretenders. So forget about the bagpipes, Thank You For Being You is the stirring sound of Scotland today. [Billy Hamilton]