Rest and Be Thankful,
Joe McAlinden's second solo LP under the name
Linden, is a delight of appealingly age-worn sunshine guitar pop. The Scottish singer/songwriter cut his teeth in the '80s and '90s with a number of different well-regarded indie pop outfits like
the Boy Hairdressers,
the Groovy Little Numbers, and
Superstar, before eventually settling down on the shores of Loch Fyne in the Western Highlands. He re-emerged in 2012 under the name
Linden with
Bleached Highlights, an excellent solo debut in keeping with his track record of melodic, '60s-indebted power pop. Taking its name from an old stone marker on the A83 overlooking Loch Fyne,
Rest and Be Thankful is an apt title for a record whose themes seems to echo this sentiment. The wistful melancholia of aging is reflected in the lovely, chiming opener "I See," whose evocative natural imagery is framed by rich harmonies and elegant strings. Standout track "Window Pane," a piano-led pop number with a soulful, horn-laden edge, conveys a sense of longing that is as wide as the Highland vistas seen through the window of the remote cabin studio where it was recorded. Shining through all of these intimate human emotions is a sense of grandeur inspired by the natural beauty of his surroundings as
McAlinden's sweet, broken tenor moves gingerly through the experiences of his life. As enjoyable as
Bleached Highlights was,
Rest and Be Thankful feels more personal and nurtured. Perhaps most enjoyable of all is the title cut, another horn-heavy piece of sublime indie pop whose rich harmonies closely recall the hallmark blend of frequent collaborators and fellow countrymen
Teenage Fanclub. Like
the Beach Boys, the Brill Building acts, or any of pop's greatest emoters,
McAlinden knows how to wrap sadness, joy, heartache, and nostalgia into simple box with a ray of sunshine for a bow. Rest and be thankful, indeed.