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But titles can be misleading. Ever in tune with the darker side of human relationships and the pain of loneliness and depression, Middleton has pulled off a neat trick-- it's uplifting music for sad people; upbeat at times ("Fuck It, I Love You"), harrowing at others ("Four Cigarettes"), but always cathartic.

Recorded at Mogwai's Castle Of Doom studio in Glasgow with co-producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Dirty Pretty Things), A Brighter Beat features the talents of numerous luminaries from the Glasgow scene. Barry Burns (Mogwai), Jenny Reeve (Reindeer Section), Paul Savage (Delgados) and Mick Cooke (Belle & Sebastian) appear alongside numerous string and brass players. But Malcolm and his songs are the stars here. A Brighter Beat confirms Middleton's status as one of the best songwriters of his generation.

The album begins on a positive note of sorts-- a frenetic, electronic burst of energy called "We're All Going To Die." "Not exactly a newsflash but you'd be surprised at how many people need reminding of this," says Malcolm. One suspects his fans aren't in that number. "We all get comfort from knowing that other people are uncomfy too," he says, "This idea is most evident in the title track A Brighter Beat. To me, it's a support anthem for people who find it hard leaving the house sometimes or socialising in general. If you're on your own at home and feeling depressed it's funny to think that there's millions of other people feeling exactly the same."

30-second MP3 excerpts:

We're All Going To Die
Fight Like The Night
A Brighter Beat
Death Love Depression Love Death
Fuck It, I Love You
Stay Close Sit Tight
Four Cigarettes
Somebody Loves You
Up Late At Night Again
Superhero Songwriters

If you have a recent version of iTunes software on your computer, clicking on the link immediately below should open the iTunes application and take you to that album's iTunes page-- where you can listen to samples and buy this album, or individual tracks:

Go to iTunes to browse downloads for Malcom Middleton "A Brighter Beat

This title is also available for download at Amazon MP3.

For a complete listing of Midheaven exclusive albums available for download from the iTunes Music Service and emusic, please visit the Midheaven Mailorder/Revolver USA Downloadables page.

Sleight of Heart is comprised of tracks written during the Brighter Beat sessions and a handful of cover versions. Initially conceived as an acoustic LP-- and largely remaining so-- the album was recorded at Chemikal Underground Studios in Glasgow. Middleton's recording band (featuring Mogwai's Barry Burns on piano, ex-Delgadoes man Paul Savage on drums, touring bassist Stevie Jones, and Jenny Reeve on backing vocals) joined in to flesh out the sound. "I suppose this album is a reaction to the production of A Brighter Beat, which I love, but I felt it was time for something quieter," says Middleton. "My songs are usually written on a guitar, so this way they are closer to the original form."

There's plenty to cherish in the nine new tracks here. Opener "A Week Off" has the wonderful line "I'll write a good song just give me more time / It's easy hating yourself, it's hard making it rhyme," and is surely the only tune released this year to name-check Fleetwood Mac. Elsewhere, "Love Comes in Waves" is what Middleton sarcastically describes as "over-blown Glasgow indie-pop," "Total Belief" finds him contemplating his "unworthiness"-- a common strand in his solo work-- and "Blue Plastic Bags" is a brilliantly observed song about British drinking culture. The listener will also find the selection of covers unpredictable-- a tortured version of Madonna's "Stay" rubs shoulders with a lively take on King Creosote's "Marguerita Red" and Jackson C. Frank's "Just Like Anything."

It all amounts to a captivating record from a man who's fast becoming one of the UK's most cherished-- and prolific-- artists.

30-second MP3 excerpts:

Week Off
Blue Plastic Bags
Total Belief
Just Like Anything
Follow Robin Down
Stay
Marguerita Red
Love Comes In Waves
Hey You

If you have a recent version of iTunes software on your computer, clicking on the link immediately below should open the iTunes application and take you to that album's iTunes page-- where you can listen to samples and buy this album, or individual tracks:

Go to iTunes to browse downloads for Malcolm Middleton "Sleight of Heart"

If you have a subscription account at emusic.com, you can download tracks for purchase here.

This title is also available for download at AmazonMP3.

For a complete listing of Midheaven exclusive albums available for download from the iTunes Music Service and emusic, please visit the Midheaven Mailorder/Revolver USA Downloadables page.

A unique voice among singer-songwriters, Middleton's work balances a fragile mix of self-doubt, humor, and wry observations on the human condition. Few current singer songwriters can claim to be as prolific--or focused--as Middleton in the past five years, averaging a release per year. Waxing Gibbous was self-produced, though the album was recorded with the help of a few friends: it features backing vocals from King Creosote and The Pictish Trail, the piano skills of Barry Burns from Mogwai, and the honeyed vocals of Jenny Reeve. And there are surprises in store. He raps! He speaks! He plays slap bass! He sings about socks! Heck, the brilliant Zero even gets close to full-blown '80s hip hop.

Purchase downloads:

iTunes

AmazonMP3

For a complete listing of Midheaven exclusive titles available for download from the iTunes Music Service, emusic, and AmazonMP3, please visit the Midheaven Mailorder/Revolver USA Downloadables page.

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