Grand Champ 1990 – Pressure Points EP
Given that Pressure Points is Scott Longmuir's first attempt at electro-pop, he's plenty of room to build on its foundations
Edinburgh-based Grand Champ 1990, real name Scott Longmuir, is perhaps best known for his work in folk group The Last Battle, so imagine the surprise of those that know him when he released the first single (Sayonara!) under this name. Pressure Points is Longmuir's space to try his hand at electro-pop, in which he mostly succeeds, but it's obvious he's new to this world.
Sayonara! is a fun introduction to this new guise for Longmuir, a formidable pop tune regarding having strength in the face of adversity. A Big Love and Photocopies delve a bit deeper into a harder-tinged electronic edge, while in contrast, the EP's standout track Look For Me is a beautifully handled, dreamy and wistful look at the abyss and afterlife. Closing track Lost Boys explores toxic masculinity, a subject rightly being examined more and this is a razor wire cut through it.
The issue with Pressure Points is that it still feels very much like a feet-finding process for Longmuir. There are plenty of solid ideas and concepts here but nothing that really pushes the record beyond unremarkable. It's clear Longmuir is a fan of the genre, but given that Pressure Points is his first attempt he has plenty of room to build on its foundations. But for now, this remains a pleasant if slightly generic listen.
Listen to: Sayonara!, Look For Me, Lost Boys