Ally McKenzie, the inventive mind behind Artillery Saints, is poised to make a splash in early 2026 with the release of Glimpse, an album that draws deeply from Scotland’s landscape and speculative imagination. The project begins with “High-Rise Sun Tribe,” an instrumental homage to the brutalist towers dotting Aberdeen, setting the tone for a journey as rooted in concrete as it is in creative possibility.
McKenzie’s approach on Glimpse blurs established boundaries—melding elements of classical and jazz with intricate, restless electronic production. Without outside collaborators, the record’s singular perspective is both its sonic and conceptual throughline. From the chilling satire of “Beauty Retreat” to the empathy-driven “Hick In Suburbia,” the album challenges traditional pop structures and themes at every turn.
“A Flurry Of Furies,” the album’s urgent lead single, transforms city anxiety and global unrest into sound—a microcosm of the album’s core message: that the mundane reality before us is but one possible outcome among many. This ethos runs deeply through the track list, especially in songs like “Control & The Cousins,” which pokes fun at McKenzie’s own musical past, and “Glister,” an atmospheric closer that eschews formality for textured, layered ambiguity.
McKenzie’s evolution as Artillery Saints sees him building upon literary and cinematic references, his roots in English literature lending a surreal polish to the record’s sharp satire. For listeners willing to engage with pop at its most distorted and self-aware, Glimpse promises a rewarding and singular experience.