Miniature Dinosaurs – (I Want To Watch) Top Gear / Pretty

is a odd pop outfit from Stirling, Scotland and is an outlet for the songs of a Barry Maclean. Their first offering comes as a self-released double A-side record, and it’s pretty good, if somewhat hard to describe.

First up there’s ‘(I Want To Watch) Top Gear’, which covers the timeless issue of partnership differences. Arguments are caused by TV schedules, she wants to watch drama, he of course wants to watch the automobile programme mentioned in the title. Musically this is set to some quiet angular indie that ploughs its course steady and straight. The chorus features the title being sung and overall it’s carried with bass and keyboards. It signs off with the lyrics “You drive me mad / They’re driving cars but you won’t let me watch it”, which we can’t complain at.

‘Pretty’ couldn’t really be any more different whilst being by the same band. Sounding like an orchestra recorded on a shoestring and a impassioned vocal, the nearest touchstone would be The Magnetic Fields but that only really goes part-way to getting across the feel of the song. Best really head over to your download store of preference and give these songs a whirl.