Scottish Albums Of The Decade #16: Meursault - Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues

A few years ago, some would argue that Edinburgh’s music scene could be suitably represented by a stale bale of tumbleweed. But finally, creeping subtly into the limelight are a collection of bands touting tortured folk with empowering originality. Topping this pile are Meursault and their 2008 release Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, a formidable display of ingenious poise and balance.

They dance around traditional folk but avoid the pitfalls of recycling old melodies. They produce dense electronic landscapes which draw influences from experimentalists like Animal Collective, but without a speck of plagiarism. Neil Pennycook's vocals are powerful but never overpowering, emotional but never melodramatic. There are patches of obscure noises – filtered radio static, crunching white noise, crisp sounds of the outdoors, but it’s never pointless, pretentious or abrasive. Pirouetting through this eccentric, cross-continental collaboration is a proud homage to a city that deserves music this good.