A powerful debut by from these Glasgow lads! Glasvegas builds on an obvious Jesus & Mary Chain influence with dramatic arrangements, instantly hummable melodies, and simple - but so effective - song structures that owe a lot to the glorious girl groups of the early ‘60s. Adding to that latter connection is the album’s huge production by singer James Allan and Rich Costey, which frequently channels the specter of Spector – Phil, that is. And, as is the case with many Spectorians, the highlight of the album, “Daddy’s Gone,” reproduces the famous massive bass drum intro to the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” which Glasvegas also covered on a single, and which was also nicked for Jesus & Mary Chain’s “Just Like Honey” (and, to be fair, countless other songs). As soon as Allan opens his mouth to sing, however, one shifts attention from the Ronettes to the Ramones, and suddenly it is Spector producing End of the Century with Joey singing those ‘60s pop melodies he loved so much.

It’s funny, I first heard Glasvegas a couple of days ago, as they played an acoustic in-studio performance on KEXP, and the main thing that stood out to me was how much the singer sounded like Paul Westerberg, and how the songs sounded like Tim-era Replacements. But their album sounds nothing like that. It’s amazing how much a wall of distorted guitars, a huge drum sound, and a well-rehearsed voice can change things around! On the record, vocalist Allan resides somewhere between Bono, Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone…dude’s a great singer, even with that thick Scottish brogue coming through loud and clear when he sings (very charming, actually). He is also a big fan of the doo-wop falsetto, which provides a cool alternative to the tired old guitar solo. Guitarist Rab Allan, however, provides plenty of color with nice surf-rock flourishes, Edge-influenced staccato runs, and one-string workouts that one might associate with ukelele. Standouts include the hypnotic ballad, “S.A.D. Light,” the soaring majesty of “Polmont on my Mind,” and the mighty roar of the opening song, “Flowers and Football Tops,” (there’s that 60s pop influence again; I can’t help thinking of Mickey & Sylvia’s “Love is Strange” when hearing this).

New Musical Express says there is not enough hype in the world for Glasvegas, and they are absolutely spot on correct – this is a tremendous album. I am so kicking myself for not seeing their show a couple nights ago at Chop Suey, because I am afraid I will never again be able to see them in such an intimate setting.