The Scottish Enlightenment

Wee Red seems to be packing the talent these days. Yum! The ECA union this time hosted The Scottish Enlightenments ‘St Thomas’ album launch, with performances by Trapped Mice and Jesus H. Fox. It was also the first time I have ever laid eyes on Tallah Brash, vocalist and xylophone teaser to Jesus H. Fox (one day soon she will accept my friend request on facebook…)
So at this particular event, one was a little inebriated and might have done a few things that night, that were a little out of character, like dance in front of Jesus H. Fox during their set. I might have snuck a bottle of scotch into my bag and passed it round everyone, and I might have chatted up some lassie who I thought was Drew Barrymore, but the one thing I am very proud of, was seeing The Scottish Enlightenment pour their sexy tunes all over the place, pouring them like a big girl spilling a barrel of honey mead into a drinking horn that is so totally overwhelmed by it’s tasty ambrosia.
Oh my. This band is probably the sexiest band in Scotland today. Their music physically arouses me. I hate them for making me so addicted to their sound. ’Necromancer’, is always playing in my house. It’s just so dirty! The bass is just so sumptuous. It’s this lavish 90's dirt that keeps me going back for more like a 10p hooker, actually no, a £5 hooker. Let’s make it realistic. The Scottish Enlightenment should be signed now. Here endeth the lesson. - The Northern Line

The Scottish Enlightenment echo winter well, with skeletal guitar lines as brittle and bare as tree branches and a settled pace as quietly insidious as snow fall. They won’t change the world like Hume and the gang, but they’ll soundtrack many a crisp walk, ensuring every footstep quivers with drama. Bad Seeds menace and Low-like minimalism join post-rock crescendos, but just when you start to worry the tone’s too oppressive to be enjoyable, a lighter side emerges.

Particularly effective are Taxidermy of Love’s clàrsach flourishes and the faint Yule-ness of The Soft Place, which prove important leavens in an otherwise po-faced mix (though any Christmassy atmosphere in the latter is probably accidental, dealing as it does with the decidedly un-festive topic of transplant surgery). Such careful balancing culminates in a majestic finale reminiscent of Hope of the States at their most haunting – chilly, yet warming in its emotional openness. - The Skinny Magazine

As the world crumbles around us, what better band to soundtrack the upcoming apocalypse than The Scottish Enlightenment.
Their new album St Thomas is a sonic and spiritual delight that soars into your heart and won't let you go.
Beginning with the instrumental lullaby of Gal Gal, St Thomas offers a dreamy escape. Earth Angel/With Sticks In Crypt offers songwriter David Moyes' slow drawl delivery against the Americana twanging of guitar before Little Sleep - the title track of their September EP.
The monk-like harmonies of Taxidermy of Love add a creepiness. Pascal, another EP title track from May, is still stunning, one of Scotland's best 2010 releases.
Necromancer sounds like David Bowie crossed with Tom Waits while List Right adds the stately pub drunk of Nick Cave. Epic and Glorious. Are you enlightened? - The Daily Record

The crowd are still filtering in when the openers take the stage, but are slowly drawn towards The Scottish Enlightenment - a Dunfermline four-piece with the menace of Joy Division and the slacker indie cool of Pavement. Whether it’s their engrossing hooks, guitar flurries, or the occasional brooding soundscape, the band set a high benchmark. - The List Magazine