Waxing Gibbous is the fifth studio album by Scottish

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 Malcolm Middleton

Malcolm Middleton

Malcolm Bruce Middleton is a Scottish musician best known for his work with Aidan Moffat in post-folk indie band Arab Strap as well as his solo career writing and producing...

, released on June 1, 2009 on Full Time Hobby. Middleton has stated that following the release of this album, and its subsequent tour, he will put his career as a solo artist on hold: "I want to try something new and then come back to this later on."

"Red Travellin' Socks" was released as a single on May 18, on 7" vinyl. Middleton describes the track as his "own "Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...

” and ”(Don't Fear) The Reaper

(Don't Fear) The Reaper

" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...

”."

Waxing Gibbous also means a Lunar phase

Lunar phase

A lunar phase or phase of the moon is the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun...

 from First quarter to Full moon.

Release

In April 2009, Middleton revealed on his MySpace

MySpace

Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

 that he planned to release a new album:

My new record is ok, but I've just listened to Hysteria by Def Leppard

Def Leppard

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...

 and that's much better. I used to hate that album when I was sixteen but now I love it. I wonder when they changed it? Hold on, am I really trying to sell my album by saying it's not as good as Def Leppard? I should work for Saatchi & Saatchi. Anyway. Yes, my new album is called Waxing Gibbous and it'll be released on the 1st June. [...] Not much to say about it really, the proof of the pudding is in the eating etc. So buy it then eat it. And remember, illegal downloading of my music will further cripple my income, leading to an impaired lifestyle, resulting in fewer situations to be gotten into which encourage the writing of downbeat/miserablist songs. Meaning you'll have to do without me. Good luck! [...] Actually, Waxing Gibbous is much better than Hysteria.

A free Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 launch party took place on the eve of the album's release.

Background and Recording

According to Middleton, "[the album] was recorded with Geoff Allan who did Into The Woods

Into the Woods (album)

Into The Woods is the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter, Malcolm Middleton, released on June 13, 2005 on Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...

with me, as well as most of the Arab Strap

Arab Strap (band)

Arab Strap were an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006...

 records. There's the usual appearances by Barry Burns

Barry Burns

Barry Burns is a Scottish musician best known for his work with post-rock band Mogwai.-Early life:Burns went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill before enrolling with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, taking up a Bachelor of Education degree in teaching music. He did...

 and Jenny Reeve, as well as King Creosote

King Creosote

Kenny Anderson, known primarily by his stage name King Creosote, is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest, Thrawn, released in 2011. Anderson is also a member of Scottish-Canadian band, The Burns Unit...

 and The Pictish Trail

The Pictish Trail

Johnny Lynch is a Scottish musician who performs under the stage name The Pictish Trail. Lynch runs Fence Records alongside Kenny Anderson.As of 2010 he also plays with Adem Ilhan in the band Silver Columns.-Early life:...

 from Fence Records, and also Stevie Jones, Michael Scanlin and Scott Simpson from my live band. All together making a good racket."

Track listing

1. "Red Travellin' Socks" - 5:20
2. "Kiss at the Station" - 4:59
3. "Carry Me" - 4:49
4. "Zero" - 6:03
5. "Stop Doing Be Good" - 5:04
6. "Don't Want to Sleep Tonight" - 5:56
7. "Shadows" - 5:00
8. "Ballad of Fuck All" - 5:43
9. "Box & Knife" - 5:51
10. "Made Up Your Mind" - 3:53
11. "Subset of the World" - 3:17
12. "Love on the Run" - 6:27

Personnel

• Malcolm Middleton
  Malcolm Middleton
  Malcolm Bruce Middleton is a Scottish musician best known for his work with Aidan Moffat in post-folk indie band Arab Strap as well as his solo career writing and producing...
  
   - vocals, guitar, various instruments, production
• Barry Burns
  Barry Burns
  Barry Burns is a Scottish musician best known for his work with post-rock band Mogwai.-Early life:Burns went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill before enrolling with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, taking up a Bachelor of Education degree in teaching music. He did...
  
   - hammond organ
  Hammond organ
  The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
  
   ("Zero"), piano (tracks 3, 5, 7, 10 & 12)
• Stevie Jones - piano ("Red Travellin' Socks")
• King Creosote
  King Creosote
  Kenny Anderson, known primarily by his stage name King Creosote, is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest, Thrawn, released in 2011. Anderson is also a member of Scottish-Canadian band, The Burns Unit...
  
   - vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8)
• The Pictish Trail
  The Pictish Trail
  Johnny Lynch is a Scottish musician who performs under the stage name The Pictish Trail. Lynch runs Fence Records alongside Kenny Anderson.As of 2010 he also plays with Adem Ilhan in the band Silver Columns.-Early life:...
  
  - vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8)
• Jenny Reeve - violin ("Stop Doing Be Good"), vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)
• Michael Scanlin - bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 12)
• Scott Simpson - drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12)
• Geoff Allan - recording, mixing
• Noel Summerville - mastering
• Keira Rathbone - cover image

External links

• Interview with Malcolm discussing each track