Influences mentioned in the press release for Very Sparrow, the debut by Glasgow’s The Mary Column: Big Star, Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels, The Lemonheads, The Modern Lovers. Go-to references, sure (I’m definitely guilty of throwing out these names around frequently)—but The Mary Column actually lives up to them, and not just because bandleader Jack Mellin (Spinning Coin, Sacred Paws) has shared stages with a few of those names.

Very Sparrow is an impressive indie pop/rock debut from the first note. Opener It Takes Time could be lifted straight from the indie rock canon, and it’s followed by the indie pop gem Wild Light. What an opening combo. From there, the record mixes immediacy and subtlety with ease—laid-back and urgent, often at once.

There’s a backstory of grief and struggle here that adds weight, but the real pull is in the songwriting. Spend time with this one—it gives back.

Joining Jack Mellin are fellow Spinning Coin members Chris White and Rachel Taylor (Spinning Coin), as well as Simone Wilson (Simone Antigone). Very Sparrow is out now on Errol’s Hot Wax.

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