Colin MacIntyre

It's been a strangely quiet period for Colin MacIntyre. His first three albums were released within three years of each other. Now it's been nearly four since he completed 'Us' and it seemed like he might vanish forever.

But less than a month into the new year Colin MacIntyre returns – looking younger, healthier, happier and with more hair. Maybe this is the effect of shedding his band name (Mull Historical Society) and emphasising a more individual take on his work. This is also clear by seeing the artwork to his new album, 'The Water', which no longer has cut-out scraps of dogs wearing wigs but solely focuses on the image of MacIntyre himself.

However, the gig at Oran Mor is a band effort so although a lot has changed for MacIntyre in four years, it seems he has stuck to the same stage formula. Which is a good thing. As talented as MacIntyre is, his output sounds a lot better with the layer and quirks of keyboard effects and voice samples. Also, had his show been an individual effort the audience would have missed the wonderful sight of seeing a drummer who flinched dramatically every time he hit the snare drum.

The set comprised mostly of the new album with a few songs from his previous three. Usually I am against this type of set when the material has not been released yet since the songs are unfamiliar making them harder to sing and dance along to, or even to appreciate them. But the songs from 'The Water' are, almost without doubt, the best MacIntyre has produced. It was very hard not to enjoy them even if they were unknown. Or perhaps 'unknown' is not the correct term. They were new but they were still familiar – the quirky lyrics about the alien nature of media and the people affected by it, the catchy guitar hooks and the Beach Boys harmonies all remain intact. We already knew this formula but this time they had been perfected. That's why, for once, it was great to hear new stuff before it was available for the public.

So although from an outsiders perspective everything has changed, this is only an image. The music remains a band effort but with some extra restraint (so long dizzying keyboard counter-melodies) and it is over all a far more polished production. MacIntyre may be more independent, younger and hairier on the outside, but on the inside the Society continues to grow and strengthen.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.