Part-recorded in a Transylvanian church for extra downbeat effect, Glasvegas’ Christmas mini-album (downloadable and tagged on a reissue of their self-titled debut) chimes halfway between the festive season’s familial warmth and the snow-biting bleakness of a Glasgow winter.

It’s a bittersweet balance songwriter James Allan is becoming a master of – the bombastic (if rather un-Christian) lurch of “Fuck You It’s Over” could slot onto their debut. The title track and “Cruel Moon”’s deft piano presses, meanwhile, show Glasvegas still strike the heart-strings, even without noisy guitars.

JAMIE FULLERTON

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