Scottish singer/songwriter
Kenny Anderson has been quietly building an impressive arsenal of material since his 1994 debut under the
King Creosote moniker. His quick wit and gentle demeanor are steeped in regional whimsy, and his skewed but sweet pop songs can come just as easily wrapped in the sepia brown leaves of traditional folk as they can the Glaswegian indie pop of bands like
Frightened Rabbit and
Belle & Sebastian. The 12 songs on
Thrawn have been culled from six studio albums released between 2003 and 2009 (
Anderson has released more than two dozen albums independently) and serve as an excellent introduction to his work. His wildly varying styles and occasional preciousness may turn off some listeners, but there is great purity in his delivery, and songs like “Homeboy,” “Missionary,” and the powerful ballad “And the Racket They Made” manage to transcend the emotional aloofness and easy irony of modern indie rock without needing to look back and wink. ~ James Christopher Monger