It's Only a Love Song＜限定盤/Colored Vinyl＞

So many of pops most memorable songs spring from yearning and heartbreak, its easy to forget that getting what you want can be even more compelling. C Duncan is in love, the requited kind. He could hardly believe his luck on "Heaven," the radiant synth pop highlight that flew like a banner over his 2022 album Alluvium. On Its Only a Love Song, the Scottish musicians fifth record, hes all in. With its widescreen romantic grandeur and orchestral sweep, it feels like the culmination of both his personal and artistic ambitions. If misty moor-walking werent just for the lovelorn, this would be its soundtrack. In some ways, Duncan has been building up to a release like this for a decade, refining his elegant chamber pop into something undeniably clever but honest. Its Only a Love Song is his most cohesive work to date, and it succeeds by being a little bit old-fashioned. Echoes of the Carpenters winsome 70s soft pop reverberate through its layered arrangements and chordal shifts, especially on songs like "Lucky Today" and the title track. Elsewhere, he cites the work of French film composer Jacques Demy and even Leonard Bernsteins West Side Story as inspirations. "Worry" is a lush daydream, soft as a breeze, while "Think About It" and "Delirium" have enough spare energy to put a spring in anyones step. As with his previous set, Its Only a Love Song is self-produced and mostly self-played with a little help from his musician parents, who make up the string section. By rallying around the greatest feeling of all, Duncan has created a collection of music that is thematic, inspiring, and more than anything, uplifting. ~ Timothy Monger