Edinburgh quartet with four brand new studio tracks that sound totally professional. There's more than a hint of ye olde bande Divine Comedy to some of the things going on here, although more to do with the sound of the vocalist than the terrible pretentiousness that was their songs. That said, the opening track, “Neon Nights” is an excellent opener, the sound of shuffling rhythms, spiralling guitars and those full-sounding, slightly nasally, rich vocal tones, carry the song forward as guitars chime and ring out all around, the song travelling inexorably to the chorus which breaks out in a burst of energy and then reverts to the edginess of the verses. The extra presence of keys in part provides an extra depth, while the song itself surges forward, lighting up your life on the verses and proving naggingly irresistible on the choruses. It's a really great song with a solid structure, great depth and a flowing vocal performance. Next up is “Analyse 'til Death”, opening with emotive guitar chords, as the slightly more rasping vocal emerges to deliver the song as the rhythm section starts to boom, the guitars take on a more Smiths-meet-Divine Comedy tone and it all surges ahead in what you'd call an urgent mid-paced fashion. The vocals are multi-tracked for extra texture, there's a subtle synth flowing away in there somewhere as the song cascades in an almost liteweight Draymin-esque fashion, bouncing along with a warm glow, a slight sense of menace and moods that range from brooding to uplifting, the vocals solid and deliberate, the result more complex than you'd envisage, but with a meandering series of twists and turns that still manages to stay on track – beautifully done! “A Distant Indifference” starts with chiming dual guitar riffs and chords as twittering percussion beats the rhythmic path and the vocal imparts its personal take on yearning and love, the drums now emerging slowly as the bass adds more weight. Then the guitars gather strength, the vocal opens up and it all starts to rise, only to stop abruptly to take an altogether more bouncy rhythmic path, the verses now more urgent and clipped, the vocals still flowing along in that wondrously raw-edged Divine Comedy-esque fashion, the guitars rolling around like some musical ferris wheel as the whole song cycles and soars, the lyrics telling and personal, the song itself well arranged and, despite the absence of anything resembling a hook or a chorus, takes you along with it. The last track is “A Stranger At The Door”, starting quite eerie then turning into, to use a seriously obscure comparison, something resembling Dundee's Hennisi, only less intense. There's a surge to the song, a restrained emotion to the vocals, while the guitar work ranges from stuttering other worldly fx to roaring riffing, as synth embellish the sound with texture and rhythm, while the rhythm section itself keeps the fires burning down below. Quite how they make something so essentially uncommercial sound so addictive is a testament to their arranging and writing. So, the first track is the most commercial thing here, but it's all enjoyable and definitely on the right track.
