H Hawkline recently joined Toy and Temples on the books of the esteemed London-based Heavenly label, and ‘Salt Gall Box Ghouls’ is his first release for them. It’s a collection of tracks from the various limited albums and EPs the Cardiff-based songwriter – who previously lived on Lundy Island, off the Devon coast – has made since 2011, and an odd and exciting introduction to music that former touring partner Gruff Rhys once described as “the catchiest thing to emerge from Lundy since the norovirus”. Hawkline’s loose style and baritone are undeniably infectious, as are the scraps of taped voices and jagged guitars on ‘An Old Lady Sings Pentecostal’ and the breezy tunes that recall ’80s Birmingham band Felt on ‘Surf Pound’ and ‘You Say You Love Me’.
Ben Homewood