This Manchester quartet’s first album Man Alive was more of a jumble sale of
weird and sometimes ill-advised sonic combinations than a coherent album. Nevertheless, some great songs shone through the often confusing fog of ideas. ‘MY KZ, UR BF’ and ‘Schoolin’ were fantastic singles, bristling with energy and charming eccentricity.
The good news is that much of what made these songs on their debut more than average indie fare remains in places on their new record Arc. Their odd, charming mix of art rock pomposity and awkward hip hop allusions just about holds together. The album starts impressively with lead single ‘Cough Cough’, which jitters and jumps, somehow managing to remain intact through the dizzying transitions from verse to chorus. Frontman Jonathan Higgs’ unusual voice still skips erratically through vocal ranges and his tongue twisting riddle lyrics are as baffling and funny as ever. The production is noticeably cleaner and
less cluttered, the synth leads soar, the drums hit harder and sound tighter and generally the sound is bigger, more grandiose than on Man Alive.
On the album’s quieter second half, this lends a shimmering beauty to songs like ‘Armourland’. However, it is in this second half that the album also loses its momentum and most of its charm. Songs like ‘The Peaks’ and ‘Duet’ move into Coldplay-like blandness. Too many of these songs sound too similar to make
it a thrilling listen, but overall this is a solid effort.
THREE STARS
