Eyes Of Others - Eyes Of Others (LP)

Edinburgh’s Eyes Of Others arrives with a self-titled debut that feels like slipping out of a pub into the blue hour and realizing the city has its own slow heartbeat. The project is the brainchild of John Bryden, who’s been describing his sound as “post‑pub, couldn’t get home” music for a while now. You can hear why that line stuck. The record glows with late-night patience, built on drum machines that lope rather than sprint, bass that swells like a tide coming in, and a voice that talks and sings with a wry, under-the-lamplight calm. It’s dance music for people who like to watch the room as much as they like to move in it.

Released in 2023 on Heavenly Recordings, Eyes Of Others is a tidy, confident statement of intent. The palette nods to krautrock’s motorik pulse and dub’s elastic space, then filters both through British synth pop and a distinctly Scottish kind of storytelling. Bryden favors clear lines and roomy arrangements. You can pick out each element: a lean drum pattern, a round bass figure, a synth line with just a hint of seaside drizzle, a murmured hook that sneaks back later like a familiar face. It’s music that trusts repetition, and it earns that trust by making every loop feel slightly more haunted or more tender on each pass.

There’s a real knack here for pacing. Early tracks set the table with unfussy beats and conversational vocals, like a good DJ opening a bar set, easing everyone into the same temperature. Halfway through, he starts flicking the lights a bit brighter, pushing the kick, letting the voice ride the groove with a drier bite. Then, just when you expect a climax, he tucks into a soft focus coda that rewards close listening. It’s the sort of sequencing that makes you flip the record again right after the runout groove, which is why the Eyes Of Others vinyl already feels like the right way to live with this album.

What keeps it from being just a vibe piece is the detail. Bryden’s ear for small sonic jokes and tiny epiphanies keeps you locked in. A snare sound will peel back to reveal a clap with human warmth. A synth pad will carry the ghost of an organ, as if a church choir wandered into an afters. He lets delay lines stretch and wobble, dub-style, but never to the point of mush. There’s always a dry element up front, usually the voice, keeping the scene focused. And he’s generous with melody. Hooks arrive sideways, tucked into a bassline or a backing vocal, then settle in for the long stay.

If you’ve followed Heavenly’s knack for low-lit, groove-led records, this sits comfortably next to their left-of-center dance and pop output while feeling its own. It’s got the soft, tactile production that makes you crave a physical copy, the kind of LP you keep near the turntable for late evenings and quiet mornings. If you’re crate-digging or trying to buy Eyes Of Others records online, you’re in luck, because the self-titled Eyes Of Others vinyl is one of those modern debuts that sound immediately broken-in. It slides into a collection next to Arthur Russell and The Field, or even early Hot Chip, without dimming its own character.

Lyrically, Bryden leans observational. He sketches small scenes and intra-city rituals rather than big pronouncements, which suits the music’s slow-burn confidence. There’s humor in the delivery, and a little melancholy tucked behind it. You can picture the bus stop, the kebab shop window, the slow walk home by the water. The specificity feels Scottish in the best way, but the mood translates anywhere a night can get away from you. I’ve heard it at low volume in the kitchen while making tea, and I’ve felt the grooves open up on a bigger system where the sub-bass turns the room into soft rubber. Both settings make sense.

This is also the rare electronic-leaning debut that invites repeat plays front to back. No playlist bait, no throwaway interludes, just a steady hand and a clear point of view. If you’re the kind of listener who hunts for small-label gems or keeps tabs on new Heavenly releases, this is an easy recommendation. Fans browsing a Melbourne record store or skimming vinyl records Australia listings will clock it from the cover, but it’s the patient, percussive feel that will bring you back. Among new Eyes Of Others albums on vinyl, start here, and if you only have room for one, make it this one.