If you hear that James Yuill is a one-man band performing with an acoustic guitar and a laptop you might think him a living definition of the “folktronica” genre.
But on No Surprise, the programmed beats are far too up-tempo to associate him with the more downbeat mix of electronics and folk music you find elsewhere. This is like having Orbital running riot at a boutique festival in some English country manor – it’s chill out with oomph. No Surprise is inventive, melodic and slots in sad, introspective lyrics among the musical fun, though it’s more interesting than great.
