The Nectarine No. 9 - Saint Jack (1995, Reissue 2015)

Nectarine no 9 were the ’90s band fronted by former Fire Engines leader Davey Henderson and this has been re-issued with a bonus Peel Sessions download intact. It says much for Henderson’s abilities that this is still worth a listen despite some distinct ’90s production values (God, the drums on fiery opening title track).

What this reminds me a lot of is the harsher more discordant end of the Wolfhounds, Henderson’s gravelly bark isn’t that far away from Dave Callahan’s growl. Like that band they also take chances with sequencing. ‘Curdled Fragments’ is a sweet instrumental and ‘Fading Memory Babe’ an oddball slice of guitar slithers before we get back to the tough skewed indie that most defines them. They are rarely melodic though -- ‘My Trapped Lightning’ is the most Captain Beefheart thing I’ve heard all year with it’s dancing, ragged guitars -- and instead Nectarine No 9 lift up Glasgow’s dark underbelly and create grimy twisting guitar anthems to soundtrack the gutter.