Bleep

Following 2012’s surprise dream-pop hit ‘Turns Turns Turns’, Matthew Otto and Devon Welsh return with more vocal-led electronic soul. It’s a direct album, searingly so. Like Jamie Woon meets Joy Division ‘Impersonator’ broods, clicks and groans, the darkness made widescreen with operatic electronica and quivering strings. Its sonically as stark and powerful as the black and white aesthetic of the band. Timeless and emotionally intense.

The real revelation though is singer Devon Welsh. He sounds like he’s looking you straight in the eyes, his baritone steady and unflappable. You believe he means every word. “Childhood’s End” is dramatic and dark, but still powerfully honest. “Silver Rings” is a psychedelic piece of cosmic electronics brought into sharp focus by Welsh’s ponderings. Majical Cloudz aren’t afraid to open up, which makes ‘Impersonator’ captivating. The kind of album that will weigh on minds long after those final potent notes have faded away.