Philophobia

Twenty-one years after its initial release, Arab Strap’s second album Philophobia is reissued on vinyl, having been out of print for twenty years. Philophobia was recorded on the outskirts of Glasgow in the early incarnation of Chem19 Studios with engineer / producer Paul Savage and at Cava Studios in Glasgow with engineer Geoff Allan.

Initially released in 1998, it was the follow up to the band’s 1996 debut The Week Never Starts Round Here. Instrumentally ambitious, Philophobia is adorned with sepulchral guitar, trumpet, cello and Scottish rainfall, providing a most beautiful backdrop to Aidan Moffat’s bold lyrical presentation as he articulates experiences most of us are too embarrassed to even think about; confessional, intimate, insightful and hilarious, Philophobia remains a literate and musical revelation.