The alt-rock, electro-dabbling duo from near Portland, Oregon (label mates with Fleet Foxes, Foals and, once, some band called Nirvana) have created their most sophisticated, serious sound to date with their fifth album. They promised a ‘warmer, more spacey/ethereal’ record, and the self-confessed Brian Eno ambient influence has paid off. Brandon Summer’s captivating vocals are where it’s at though, whether soaring on top of (former Modest Mouse cohort) Ben Weikel’s spritely drums and shimmering cymbals in ‘One More Time’ and ’Downward Spiral’, or morose and haunting in the emotive, lo-fi folk of ‘Harvester Of Souls’. A quietly seductive album that’s atmospheric, sometimes melancholic, but often beautiful.
8/10
Words by KATE BLOWER
