In case you didn’t notice, there’s a World Cup on. Belle And Sebastian certainly have, and they’re one of many acts filling our inbox with anthems for (ahem) Scotland’s inevitable victory. We couldn’t wade through them all (there’s only so many times you can hear the word ‘football’ in a song before you want to claw your ears out) but it’s heartening to see an event unite everyone, from twee indie hipsters to hardcore rockers. 

Beyond Goal Lazio-pop, this month’s round-up include echolocation dance, politically charged rap, slacker rock and much more. 

If you’ve got a song you’d like to see featured in Singles In Your Area, share it with us at [email protected]. 

Hound
‘Big Time’ 

Pavement seem to be the touchstone for Hound's latest burst of exuberant slacker rock, which emanates Gen X cool in every scrappy chord and stream of consciousness witticism. Apparently it's about the band's first visit to Shetland, leafing through those memories with a dewy-eyed nostalgia. If indie discos were still a thing, this would be the 3am banger capping off a wild night. 

Belle And Sebastian 
‘It Only Takes One Lion’

There’s no such thing as a truly good football song, but Belle And Sebastian are at least edging towards kitschy charm. A simple story about the beautiful game set to a skittering disco beat, this is Stuart Murdoch at his most straightforwardly sentimental. Sweet, cheesy, and shamelessly naff,  it's an underdog tune that'll be enjoyed for about as long as it takes for Scotland to get knocked out of the World Cup. 

Tommy Perman and Hanna Tulikki 
‘We Came Out’ 

Tommy Perman and Hanna Tulikki are perhaps two of the most consistently interesting members of Scotland’s arts scene, and their collaborative album promises to be something special. Composed entirely from bat echolocation calls fused with the human voice, Echo In The Dark imagines a late-night rave that’s as welcoming as it is infectious. ‘We Came Out’ is its first single, and comes suffused with a dancefloor-ready air reminiscent of early 2010s’ pop-electronica icons such as Nite Jewel and Austra. 

Siiga
‘Recovery’ 

Citing itself as a retro-futurist album, Siiga’s latest, Nostalgia Burns, has the neon-lit sheen of 80s power pop. He tips his hat to Genesis here with a Phil Collins drum fill and the kind of sparkling synths and driving guitar riffs that were the norm in the heyday of heavy shoulder pads. 

Natasha Kitty Katt 
‘Cold Blood Currency’ 

An homage to William Burke and William Hare, this dark gothic dance number is brought to life by a relentless drum machine and a stabbing harpsichord. There’s something of the 90s dance scene in the DNA of this, taking a simple beat and teasing it out to a satisfying finish. And frankly, it beats another tour of Surgeon’s Hall. 

Lewis Brennan 
‘Dance 2003’ 

Want to add some bonhomie to your indie guitar number? Add a countdown to New Year at the start of your song like Lewis Brennan does here. There’s a dreamy, slick quality in the vein of Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy, bolstered by Brennan’s smooth, Nutini-like croon. 

Mairi McGillivray
‘Buain a' Choirce’

Stemming from Islay, modern compositions and traditional Gaelic folk collide in McGillivray’s latest. She commented: ‘These stories and melodies connect me to my past and, through the beautiful arrangements we've created together, I hope they've also been brought into the present. More than anything, I hope people can connect with the album and be taken on a journey through every song.’

Nani Porenta 
‘Some Body’ 

This frequent collaborator with Jacob Alon, Lewis McLaughlin and Katie Gregson-MacLeod is forging her own path and soaring to similarly emotive heights. A classic break-up song in structure, it’s filled with little surprises that show why Porenta has become a known name. She said of the song: ‘The song doesn’t try to resolve anything, it just sits with the absence, allowing space for things to feel incomplete, unsettled. Like your body is still catching up with something your mind already knows.’

Celebrant
‘Vital Parts’

Unafraid of mixing the epic with the everyday, an indie-folk tinge is given panoramic quality thanks to Tom Irvine’s classical background. It’s unabashedly beautiful stuff, something we’ve come to expect from the former lead of Urvanovic. 

Corto.alto 
‘Go’ (Featuring Vector) 

Liam Shortall’s tireless run of creativity is far from over. His latest album, Some Small Fortune, is loaded with collaborators Jacob Alon, Mick Jenkins and, in this single, a star-making turn from Vector. Sludgy, slippery and dramatic, this may just be corto.alto’s entrance into the big time. 

Both Hands
‘Lips Parted’ 

Glitchy synth-pop is the name of the game from this Edinburgh duo, in what they’ve described as a ‘pointed contribution to pop music’s rich pantheon of dreamy songs about fucking.’ There’s a sprinkle of optimism in every note, playing out with a steady and understated build.

Craftybrownkid 
‘Flyin’ Flags’ 

The old-school vibe coming from Craftybrownkid (a collaboration between Crafty Brown and randombrownkid) emanates what they describe as ‘cassette beats’, so much so that it’d be easy to skip over its politically seething commentary. ‘The government doin’ nothin’’ is the refrain here in this hopeful paean to flying the Palestinian flag and making sure that voices of the dispossessed don’t go unheard. Randombrownkid’s flow is phenomenal, finding a slick rhythm that make his political screed a blood-pumping experience. 

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