Edwyn Collins

There is perhaps no one more responsible for the development of jangle pop than Edwyn Collins. His sound has been idolized by mainstay indie sensations such as Belle and Sebastian and his work with Orange Juice has purportedly given The Smiths a large sense of their direction. Since his departure from Orange Juice, Collins has released one sparkling pop gem after the other. His style is instantly appealing and it is a total conundrum to why he isn't more widely recognized. Collins seems to have a traditional approach to his songwriting. It is undoubtfuly innovative, but it also leaves the impression that it belongs in the 1950s. His sound is very straightforward and crisp. His guitar sounds as clean as an Everly Brother's recording, and the reverberation heard throughout his sound seems as though it could be found on an Eddie Cochran album.
Collins' live performance consists of an even split of Orange Juice songs and solo material and you will hear no complaints. Orange Juice is one of the most criminally overlooked bands and to hear any of their recordings performed live is an absolute pleasure. Collins' solo career is just as good too. He still is able to crank out successful tracks such as "A Girl Like You" with tremendous excitement. The keyboard intro is ecstatic and the flanged guitar riff is flat-out weird but somehow fits perfectly into the song. Nothing seems like it can keep Edwyn Collins down, and hearing him perform live it seems as though nothing can keep your spirit down. His music is so refreshing and optimistic sounding it is hard not to have a smile throughout the entire show.