C Duncan is a singer / songwriter from Glasgow. But hey, before you turn away with a yawn: this 26-year-old Scot certainly doesn't live up to the standard picture of the tormented-man-with-beard-and-guitar. As the son of two classically trained musicians, Christopher first trained himself on the piano and the violin, before throwing himself into various bands on guitar, bass and drums. He learned
… to compose at the conservatory. This CD reaps the fruits of that richness of influences. From the very first minute, Architect draws you into a world that sounds very familiar somewhere (think of Fleet Foxes in terms of atmosphere), but is at the same time new, fresh and magical. Is it the rarefied Duncan's dreamy voice? The crackling electronics with which he pushes gems like He Believes In Miracles and Here To There to great heights? Or is it in the Scottish landscape? Probably it is the combination, where the whole is in any case much more than the sum of its parts. With Architect, C Duncan delivers one of the best debuts of 2015. Oh yes, and he doesn't have a beard either. (RME)more
