Declan Welsh & The Decadent West are the sort of direct and unapologetic band we need right now

Rare is it these days to find someone which you can foresee people actually making an emotional investment in. Declan Welsh is, by all accounts, one such individual.

A proper punk rock troubadour of times gone past with all the swagger of Joe Strummer and the social conscience of Billy Bragg, Declan Welsh has developed a concise method of delivery that sheds the thrills of modern-day indie rock and relies on poignant lyrics and clearly defined choruses to convey politically motivated messages.

A definite move away from Welsh’s anti-fascist hymns, “Useless” is a love-lorn slow mover that is indebted to Suck It And See just as much as it is to Talking With The Taxman About Poetry, moving from wistful ruminations to punchier chants.

This is the sort of act we need right now and since the English are having a tough time, let the Scots to fly the flag for guitar music.