Sunshine Pop from Linden – Rest and be Thankful

Linden is Scottish songwriter Joe McAlinden and his second LP’s title comes from an inscription on a stone near Loch Restil, probably inscribed in the mid 1700’s. Rest and Be Thankful was recorded on the shores of Loch Fyne, with some help from Eric Lindsay, Stuart Kidd, and Marco Rea. Paul Cook puts in a guest performance as well. You may remember MnAlinden from a previous band, Superstar, who’s main notoriety came from Rod Stewart having covered one of their songs.

Melodic and soulful, Rest and Be Thankful is a pleasing listen, albeit it a bit low key and layed back. Linden’s sound would fall comfortably between genres, light and airy enough to remind one of sunshine pop of the 70’s but hooky enough to appeal to powerpop fans. I’ve heard it called “pastoral pop”.

The rich harmonies on the oepning track, “I See”, are very pleasing to the ear as well as the soulful, piano driven “Window Pane”. Other worthwhile cuts include the title track (Rest and Be Thankful) and “Broken Glass”. To summarize, while Rest and Be Thankful is not likely to rock your world, it’s a very pleasant listen and perfect for that summer drive out to the park.