BROKEN CHANTER’S BRAND-NEW ALBUM (and another TVV competition)

David MacGregor is one of the best musicians to have emerged out of Scotland over the past couple of decades.  He started out as part of Kid Canaveral, a band which formed in St Andrews fully 20 years ago- and I find myself shaking my head in astonishment at how quickly the time has passed.

Kid Canaveral released three excellent albums full of catchy, thoughtful and insightful indie-pop tunes before beginning to drop off the radar back in mid-2018.  Not that any of us knew it at the time, but the band had more or less run its course – David himself wasn’t sure where there the future lay, but in the interim, and to the absolute delight of those of us who had long succumbed to his charms, he announced plans to record a solo album.

He decided to adopt the stage name of Broken Chanter.   David’s reason for taking on this moniker was in recognition of his failed attempts, as a toddler, to play his grandfather’s chanter, the part of the bagpipes which creates the melody.

The eponymous debut album appeared in 2019. It was a bit of a shift in direction from the music he had made with Kid Canaveral – a more rural, almost pastoral effort, one that had been inspired by David spending time in the remote Scottish Highlands, along with the Isle of Skye and County Donegal. The results were a joy to listen to – one very astute review identified it as an album clearly forged in Scotland, and filled to the brim with music and lyrics that appealed to Scottish sensibilities.

By 2020, it was clear the old band wouldn’t be getting back together, and David announced he’d continue to record and perform as Broken Chanter.   The second album under that name was Catastrophe Hits, released in October 2021, one which saw a slight change of direction.  The debut had been largely a solo effort, augmented with musicians with whom he was good friends. This time around he wrote the songs with the thought of it being recorded by a fully functioning band – again made up of friends he had known for many years – that would also get out on the road and play in a live setting.  Musically, it was a further and cohesive development of what had made the debut such a joy to listen to, with the addition of a number of upbeat pop tunes which were packed with socially aware lyrics.

This week sees the release of Chorus of Doubt, the third Broken Chanter album.  Having been one of those lucky enough to get an early listen to its contents, I can only concur fully with the words that have been penned as part of the promotional efforts.

“From the propulsive immediacy of the bass and drums’ taut groove, it’s clear something has changed in Broken Chanter’s world.

Thudding, powerful odes to the strength of collectivity and togetherness, David MacGregor’s Broken Chanter bristle with energy and empathy on their incendiary third album Chorus Of Doubt.

Recorded (and produced) by Paul Savage over 2023’s spring and summer months, Chorus Of Doubt is fuelled by a burning desire to resist an encroaching, global tide of misery, informed by a wide-eyed sense of solidarity and the searing truth that a universal humanity is the only path out of darkness.

Featuring frequent collaborators Charlotte Printer, Bart Owl and Martin Johnston, Broken Chanter’s world is populated by hope and vitriol rendered in ecstatic rock music, terse agit-Funk and soaring choruses.

The most immediate Broken Chanter record to date, Chorus Of Doubt is David MacGregor’s open love letter to never giving up, a personal road map out of collective lethargy.

I got an invitation to the  ‘Listening Party’ for the new album that was held in a Glasgow pub just last Thursday.  My pre-ordered copy of the album then arrived in the post the following day.

I’ve been playing nothing else all Easter weekend.  It’s a fabulous listen from start to finish, with more hooks than a tackle box at an angling contest.

The next thing to look forward to are the live shows.

Broken Chanter will be playing Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow later this month, while May will take in Gateshead, Cambridge, Rainham, Coventry, London, Oxford and Sheffield.  I can guarantee that every show will provide the various audiences with a memorable evening – David is a tremendous frontman, full of energy and charisma, and his band members are ridiculously talented.  Oh, and the songs will have you dancing!  Click here for ticket details.

I’ve purchased two additional copies of Chorus of Doubt to offer up as prizes for the third TVV competition of 2023.  The usual thing….answer a question and send in your reply via email.

Q: ‘On which well-known Scottish record label has Chorus of Doubt been released?’

(there’s plenty of clues available from the above videos!!)

All entries should be sent to thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk – but please also include your full name and address so that I can work out postage costs should you be lucky. (Once again, I promise that all the emails will be deleted afterwards so that I don’t keep any of your personal info).

The closing date is Saturday 13 April.  Good luck etc.

JC

PS : A bonus posting will appear on the blog later on.  It’s the guest ICA I trailed last week….trust me when I say it really is worth coming back for another visit around midday.