Thursday, 7 January 2010
Genre Electronic/Indie
Label Polydor
Producer Ewan Pearson
Release Date January 11th
The year has only just begun, and already we have our first big release. Acolyte, the debut album from Manchester Indie band Delphic has been the focus of some really quite intense hype in recent months, with some pundits tipping it to be the first great album of 2010.
Needless to say there are a lot of people looking forward to the album's release next week, but you don't have to wait that long to find out if this album will live up to expectations. Read on for the full advance review from the Ephemeric.
The album gets off to a decent start with the moody and forboding Clarion Call, and right from the off it's clear that this is not just some average, timid debut offering, but more on that later.
The album continues it's good start with the obvious first single, Doubt. This is an electro-pop gem that is far too catchy not to be a success, channelling the likes of New Order during their pomp. It's all decent stuff so far, but by this point it's easy to dismiss this band as just another on the electro-indie bandwagon that has become the norm in recent years.
However, the third track on the album, This Momentary, goes off in a different direction, taking the mood down a notch to something softer and more melodic. It's a crucial turning point in the album, showing that this is a band capable of producing deeper material in addition to surefire hits like Doubt.
The album continues on from this in a similar fashion with Red Lights, one of the strongest tracks on the album. Mixing a smooth, radio friendly chorus with a dreamy electronic melody, I can see this one becoming a favorite amongst remixers in the coming year.
Next we reach the climax of the album with the 9 minute title track, Acolyte. This track is fully instrumental, and fully epic, reminiscent of some classic trance from the 90s.
The rest of the album is a little more forgettable, but maintains a decent quality throughout. In particular tracks Halcyon and Remain warrant a listen.
Overall, this is a good debut from a band that clearly likes to mix things up and give some musical variety to their albums. That being said, I can't say there is any song from this album that's really particularly amazing, merely good. We'll have to wait and see if they can build on this, but so far so good.
Must Listen:
Doubt
Red Lights (Link Broken)
This Momentary
