Arab Strap
With the duo of Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton at its core, Arab Strap has been one of the most important and influential Scottish bands since they were discovered by radio legend John Peel in the mid 90’s. Together with contemporaries like Mogwai and Belle & Sebastian they are the key figures within the renowned Glasgow scene.
The music of Arab Strap is carried by Moffat’s baritone voice. His lyrics are poetic in nature and he explores themes of beauty, sadness, sex, drugs, love and death in them. All of this with a smile and a tear. In 2021 they released their first album in 16 years (!) called “As Day Gets Dark”, which was praised by press and fans alike. “I don’t give a fuck about the past our glory days gone by”, that’s the declaration with which they kick off the album. Moffat’s half-sung, half-spoken stories are still an important aspect, but they do use new instrumentation and sounds on the new record. They also add elements from post-punk, electronics, disco and grooves to the mix. Arab Strap is more grown-up and wiser now, as Moffat himself indicates.
Highly recommended to fans of Low, Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, Tindersticks and The Coral.
