Written by Ruaridh Gilmour

Imagery by Beau Walton

The Edinburgh-based eight-piece follow their previous single, the epic 'A Daisy for You, John', with the massive, raw soundscape of 'Blood On The Sand'.

The band played this one live for over a year before its release on Wednesday, so it was always likely to translate well. The hardest task for any act whose reputation rests on their live show is carrying that energy from stage to streaming, and they've pulled it off. The production is raw, unfiltered and irresistibly live-sounding, blending post-rock and folk and putting each member's strengths on full display. Alex Hunter and Hannah Ruddick-Trentmann's violin and trumpet work respectively gives the track a haunting aura, reminiscent of Black Midi at their orchestral best. Matthew Bradshaw's tight drumming carries the song through its shifts in energy, while the guitars add a hazy, psychedelic atmosphere that makes a listen on headphones particularly rewarding.

I couldn't help comparing the production and vocals to a little-recalled Scottish band, Sluts of Trust, who released only one album in the early 2000s. The raw, live feel and Charlie Gates' passionate delivery, almost shouted as a warning from a distance, build an atmosphere of existential dread that absorbed me, which is fitting given the band have stated the song draws from the Greek tragedy of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. It's great to hear Scottish music that sounds completely fresh yet sits comfortably alongside the best of Chemikal Underground Records’ early-2000s output, without wearing that influence openly.

In a music world of scenes and familiarity, Oedipus And The Mama's Boys have made something that evades both. It leaves you wondering what comes next for them, and for the other bands in their circle working to showcase the abundance of creativity in modern Scottish music.