At the start of every year, former Creation head Alan McGee publishes his 'ones to watch' list in The Guardian. It's become almost a running joke that, for about the last 3 years, he's unfailingly tipped Glasvegas. It's McGee who's the one who's smiling now, as this is the song that will surely break the Scots into the mainstream.
Originally released as a limited edition late last year, Daddy's Gone caused a major buzz. Nearly 12 months on, it's lost none of its power. It's the production that hits you first of all, waves of guitars piled on top of each other (hence the much vaunted Jesus & Mary Chain comparisons), while James Allan's broad Scottish brogue sounds close to breaking, such is the emotion he piles into the song.
Then there's the lyrics - as direct and unobtuse as we've come to expect from them, this time about an absentee father. "I won't be the lonely one, sitting on my own and sad, a 50 year old reminiscing what I had" runs the chorus and what could have been maudlin and overtly sentimental in other hands becomes a thing of great poignancy. Another spotter's badge for McGee then...
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