STOOR – DL/CD/LP

Formed from the fumes of the original West Port bar and distilled from earlier Dundee punk/New Wave bands, STOOR have been a presence on the Scottish music scene since the 1990s. The nuclear core of the band (Scott Mckinlay, drums; Stef Murray, bass and vocals; Ross Matheson, guitar) fused over their love of punk, film and TV themes and the Kinks to name but three influences. Over the years other members have come and gone with the present fourth member being Davie Youngblood on guitar. Sporadically gigging like a Time Lord on a sabbatical, STOOR have been a rare band to witness (which could be of interest to Pokemon-Go players). Recent years has seen a flurry of activity with many sightings of their musical Tardis in venues around Scotland and the North of England. Their debut album, eponymously titled ‘STOOR’, was self-released on vinyl last year to critical acclaim. Piccadilly Records in Manchester summed up its musical delights pretty accurately with this precis: “STOOR's self-titled LP is filled with gutsy post-punk anthems and confident instrumental wizardry. Clanging distorted guitars and chugging rhythm tracks are fittingly topped with tuneful but aggressive vocal lines. Arrhythmic passages leap out of the groove before diving straight back into the melodic assault. 'Infect me' shows a more restrained side, and showcases STOOR’s ability to reign it back a bit and focus on the nuts and bolts of their sound, and is further evidence of their ability to competently cover a wide variety of sounds seamlessly. This is an exciting and rousing collection, well worth the rack space for any fan of post-punk or indie.” “If you like your music challenging but accessible, inventive but melodic then I’d thoroughly recommend this delightful album to you. I know it’s only May but this is my album of 2015 so far and it’s going to have to be something special to topple this one from that slot.” IsThisMusic? 4.5 / 5 stars “May well be the best record by a band you’ve never heard of this year.” Manic Pop Thrills