Rewind to 1985 and a proper old record store in my hometown of Falkirk; Sleeves was somewhere I visited daily on my way home from school in an effort to find the latest addition to my growing vinyl collection. If my memory serves me correctly I was introduced to "The Broken Years" and a release from the then little known REM; "Can't Get There From Here" at the same time. Neither track would go on to achieve commercial success but both would lead me to further explore the music of the bands concerned. The contagious guitars and distinctive vocals of "The Broken Years" allied to an up-tempo groove had me hooked from the first listen. The second single arrived later that year, in double pack no less and while not quite as instantly infectious, "Ask the Lord" proved a grower, intelligently crafted pop music with a soulful essence. I'm sure it wasn't long before I had the lyrics memorised, singing along, wishing I was old enough to see the band play live. The eponymous album that followed was a timeless masterpiece that was one of, if not the best selling albums in Scotland in 1986 despite its more modest sales South of the border. Reportedly brilliant live performances and a certain McEwan's Lager advert may have positively impacted the band's popularity in Scotland but it was richly deserved.
It took four years before the second album arrived in 1989 by which time bassist Johnny McElhone had left to form Texas. Polygram, their record label's attempts to promote "Scratch The Surface" were at best half-hearted and by the start of the 90s it looked like we'd seen the last of Hipsway. Then in 2016, seemingly out of the blue, a gig was announced, then a second night when it became apparent that the first would sell out. Finally after more than 30 years I would get to see Hipsway play live in concert. Not only was it well worth the wait, but there was a feeling by the end of the night that this wouldn't be a one off. The reception from a group of fans most of whom were now in their 40s and 50s was electric. Grahame's voice was as smooth and distinctive as ever, the tight musicianship was still intact and as I walked away from the ABC that evening there was a sense that this might just be a new beginning for Hipsway (although the venue has subsequently fallen victim to an unfortunate fire).
So here we are 33 years on from "The Broken Years", nearly three full decades after their last outing and Grahame and Pim have finally delivered album number three. Funded through Pledge music, there's no major label backing, just the band, their fans and a few helpful individuals to thank for nine new tracks and another tour. The record stores like Sleeves that helped to propel bands like Hipsway back in the day have gone, almost all of them in fact. We're in a completely different era of streaming and social media which, in this case at least, seems to have brought the band closer than ever to their fans. It's allowed Hipsway to make the album they wanted free from the shackles of record labels, music videos and marketeers managing their image. The seemingly glamorous Stateside recording trips have gone, as have the deep pockets of the major label but there's a degree of control and artistic integrity that's been gained in return.
Now I've only listened to "Smoke & Dreams" twice so far so this review, such as it is, isn't designed to be an in depth appraisal of the merits of each track, more an informed observation of the experience of hearing these new tracks for the first time. Listening to "Old Time Religion" it's unmistakably Hipsway, it's more raw than the previous albums and I would expect that it's a more accurate portrayal of the live performance than many albums you could listen to, regardless of genre. "Saturday Night" oozes elements of the postcard era that preceded the emergence of Hipsway and a few of the notable Glasgow bands of the mid to late 80s. Those guitars grabbed me instantly. "The Cost Of Getting Lost", "You Don't Know" and the melancholy "Fatal Kiss" are deeper, moodier affairs charged with emotion. "New York Night New York Daze" takes me back to the Hipsway of old with its uptempo groove and enticing guitars. "Sidestep" with it's light, funky and uplifting groove reminds me a little of another Glasgow band from the 80s whose lead singer had a legendary quiff. The penultimate track, "You're A Star" evokes memories of the Seventies with it's funky guitars and drums; I'm getting flashbacks to Starsky & Hutch. Listening to that intro, you almost expect Isaac Hayes to start singing before the keyboards drop in and Grahame's voice reminds you that we're in Scotland rather than California. We reach the end of the road and "TV Dream" which has a distinctly American influence to it in the way the guitars blend together and in the vocal delivery. The one thing that I haven't done yet is to fully immerse myself in the album. I'd like to hear it sitting in total darkness with no one else around to interrupt the experience; just me, the music and the lyrics - I'd bet there's plenty to digest from the lyrics but that's for another day.
Smoke & Dreams is available on most major streaming platforms now and if you weren't one of the ones that helped fund the project through Pledge Music then you can pick up the album at the upcoming gigs later this month. Personally, I've got my eyes on the blue vinyl and a T Shirt, although it's fair to say it won't be the same size as it might have been that afternoon back in 1985.
Reviewed by Dean Serafini
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