6. The DelgadosUniversal Audio
I think Universal Audio is their best album. I was going through them all for this, and they’re all depressingly good. It’s sickening. But I think Universal Audio really sounded like them live. It was quite an exciting record – it was sonically adventurous, but with less happening.
They were a really important band to me, early on. I met them just as their first single came out. They used to come down to the 13th Note a lot. I remember sitting having a drink with Emma [Pollock, The Delgados singer and guitarist] one time, and she was telling me about this signing they’d just made to Chemikal Underground. It was these two mental guys from Falkirk that they’d never met but were kind of terrified of. And I said, did you just sign them because you’re scared of them? And Emma was like, "No, no, they’re amazing." That was Arab Strap.
The Delgados didn’t get the credit they were due at the time. It’s only looking back at all of the actual landfill indie that was going on that you realise how inventive and adventurous they were, within a very strict template. And Paul [Savage] is such an underrated drummer as well. I can tell it’s him whenever I hear him play on a record. He’s a very clever drummer, but he’s not showy. He’s all about the whole sonic picture, and even back then, he was all about that.
Emma’s always amazing [Pollock sings on ‘Half Light’ from Thirteen Lost & Found]. Her new album’s [In Search Of Harperfield] the best thing she’s ever done. She’s got a beautifully rich and warm voice, and she’s really easy to write music with. Which I appreciate. Because I’m a lazy bastard.
