THE Reindeer Section is the Scottish dream-team side project of Snow Patrol front man Gary Lightbody, and he has far more talent at his disposal than national football coach Berti Vogts.

In December 2000, for the ten-day recording of quiet and loud songs on Y'All Get Scared Now Ya Hear, he conscripted 15 members of Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, Arab Strap, Mull Historical Society and Astrid. In February 2002, most returned and the platoon rose to 27, with Eva vocalist Jenny Reeve, Idlewild's Roddy Woomble and Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake among those newly 'Sectioned'. The result is more of the same, only better, sweeter, 11 mournful and melancholic Lightbody compositions, finished off with the trademark nocturnal drawl of Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat on his own Whodunnit (and no one else could have dunnit).

In another Glasgow project with a Belle & Sebastian connection, former band member turned novelist Stuart David has released his third Looper album, this one made in tandem with Glaswegian wild card Peacock Johnson. Darker and danker than before, it inclines to thriller soundtrack instrumentation, baritone saxophone and all, with hip-hop beats for modernity. It could be the new work of Matt Johnson of The The, or Edwyn Collins leading a later-years Depeche Mode tribute band, but David's vocal limitations undo his good work.

Updated: 11:39 Thursday, June 20, 2002