To those who loved them, Glasgow, Scotland’s Delgados were the near-perfect blend of churning, indie-rock edginess and stirring, girl/boy vocals, wrapped in gasp-inducing orchestral arrangements that made time stand still. A tough act for vocalist/guitarist Emma Pollock to follow, you might think, when the band split amicably in 2006. And yet, Pollock’s ’07 solo debut, Watch The Fireworks, wasted no time in identifying how crucial she had been to the unique sound of the Delgados. Three years later, the former physics major returns with The Law Of Large Numbers (Chemikal Underground), which goes down like a couple of dry martinis after a savory meal, welcoming you to Pollock’s expanding universe of sound. Pollock will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with her.
Pollock: Family classic or band classic? When Delgados were together, we used to play Risk on the Xbox on the tour bus whilst touring North America. I never won once, as fellow band members took it rather seriously, but I loved playing it all the same. As well as owning the Xbox version, I also bought a lovely 50th anniversary version with coloured metal artillery all beautifully presented. I found that in a shopping centre somewhere in the U.S. and just had to buy it when I saw it. Video after the jump.
