The Ballad of Mable Wong - Is Worth Two In The A Tree

(Self Released)

Glasgow’s TBOMW make epic instrumental music condensed to a microcosmic level. Each song finds them working carefully through hyper-melodic permutations on a theme, the instruments constantly spinning around each other like a whirring orrery through elegant arrangements.

Frenzied guitar arpeggios spin around under sparse, spooky glockenspiel, and giant riffs burst like cosmic debris through the precision noodling. All this is accomplished with a deftness of touch that belies the consummate musicianship that underpins the whole album. And with titles like ‘Obamaramalama’, it’s clear that TBOMW don’t take themselves too seriously, leaving it instead to the reviewer to abuse your eyes with words like ‘permutations’ and ‘consummate musicianship’.