For Colin MacIntyre, the wounded heart and worried soul behind Mull Historical Society, the best remedy for difficult-second-album syndrome is a lush dose of introspection. Moving away from the character-laden pop thrill of debut album Loss, MacIntyre instead documents his relationships in all their tumultuous glory.
The Final Arrears equates the non-payment of bills with the neglect of a loved one in a psychedelic pop swirl that picks up where Sgt Pepper left off. MacIntyre's voice can sound shrill when it wants to be urgent, but it is gorgeously pained, while surf-sound harmonies and piano melodies bring his fearful words alive. The stand-out is Her Is You, two minutes of passion echoed through words of devotion.
