Slow Summits

While it had been sixteen years since Glasgow independent music group The Pastels last released an album — 1997’s Illumination — they hadn’t exactly been dawdling; there were film and theatre soundtracks, a collaboration with Japanese pop duo Tenniscoats, their Geographic Music imprint, and involvement in Glasgow’s Monorail Music record store. Wearing its relatively slow gestation lightly, 2013’s Slow Summits feels brighter and poppier than its predecessor, with “Check My Heart” connecting to the group’s long-time obsession with soul, and “Kicking Leaves” a cinematic miniature. Elsewhere, there are long, winding instrumentals (“Slow Summits”), understated pop reveries (“Secret Music”) and celebratory, inclusive hymns (“Come To The Dance”). With members of Tenniscoats, To Rococo Rot, Teenage Fanclub and International Airport on board, it’s a perfect snapshot of Pastelism in the 21st century.