The Delgados: The Great Eastern : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Delgados do not look like rockers: They are four pasty-faced Glasgow kids who seem more likely to shoplift your tea bags than to unclog your chakras. But their third album, The Great Eastern, is an orgy of space-rock guitar worship. Who knew? Until now, the Delgados have been best known for running their own indie label, Chemikal Underground, showcasing bands such as Mogwai and Arab Strap. But on The Great Eastern, the Delgados achieve the intense sound their songs deserve: intimate boy-girl vocals, psychedelic guitar power, rainy-day sprinkles of piano and strings. The group's wide-screen sonics also evoke Mercury Rev and the Flaming Lips (Rev/Lips producer Dave Fridmann mixed the album). And whatever the hell the Delgados are singing about, gems like "Accused of Stealing," "No Danger" and "The Past That Suits You Best" are majestic enough to flutter right up your kilt. The Delgados might consider upping their potassium intake, but The Great Eastern proves that guitars are alive and well across the Atlantic. (RS 847)

ROB SHEFFIELD