First & Last

One of Glasgow's more prolific artists, RM Hubbert has released music under a variety of guises since 1993. It was, however, El Hombre Trajeado's triptych of albums released between 1995 and 2005 that really put Hubbert on the musical map, earning swathes of critical acclaim, three Peel Sessions and support slots with Sebadoh, Tortoise, Nick Cave, Deerhoof, Mum, Mike Watt and The Delgados. Following El Hombre Trajeado's "retirement," guitarist Hubbert took a break from playing live and began studying a host of different musical forms before returning to the scene in 2008 and releasing his debut solo album First & Last in March 2010. The nine instrumentals that make up the album manage to skillfully incorporate elements of flamenco and samba, utilizing their percussive techniques while retaining the melancholy folk stylings of his earlier material. First & Last, by Hubbert's own admission, was informed by three dark events in his life: the death of his father; his diagnosis with chronic depression and finally, the death of his mother. That these traumatic events resulted in an album of such beauty is a testament not only to Hubbert's technical prowess as a guitarist but, perhaps more importantly, his strengths as a composer.