|
Having spent much of 2009 making a name for themselves through
constant touring, topped off with a slot on Later... With Jools Holland, it
was no surprise to find Delphic coming third in the BBC Sound Of 2010
poll. And they're not going waste that spotlight, with debut album
Acolyte being released just one week into the new year.
Much has been said about Delphic hailing from Manchester. It's a
city with a long heritage in the kind of music that manages to stay
interesting, edgy and commercial. The Smiths, New Order,
The Stone Roses and
Oasis all somehow seemed to capture the mood of their time. And
Delphic are another one to add to that list. After 20 years of it,
it might not sound that zeitgeisty to claim to be a band that merges
the indie band ethic with electronics, but every year brings with it
new achievements. While American bands like MGMT and
Passion Pit have been leading the way recently, these three Englishmen
suggest the action is not confined to Stateside.
Their musical agenda was set out by a couple of singles last year,
Counterpoint and This Momentary. Their melodies are understated and the electronic backing
is discreet. As a result, the album can take a few listens, but it
does get under your skin and emerges as a record that will work to
almost any environment.
And yes, Delphic do recycle. You will
hear New Order on Submission, Underworld on This
Momentary and Bloc Party on Counterpoint. But they recycle
well, managing to do it with gravitas. Reining in the excesses
of Klaxons, Acolyte feels like a serious album.
The title track supplies Acolyte's heart. Lyric-free, it weighs in at nearly nine minutes, which fly past as
its pace switches between chilled out Ibizan bliss and storming
clubfloor anthem. With its onslaught of beeps and crescendos and an
echoing vocal drifting in and out of the background, it owes much more
to Orbital than the cheekily-titled track Halcyon.
The oracle that is the Sound Of 2010 poll has probably got it
right here, in that the sound of Delphic may well be heard all over
the place this year. However the songs' understated nature makes it
hard to pick out obvious hit singles, so don't be surprised if we get
to the end of the year and it's still only those in the know who
know.
And yet, while it may be too early in the year to be talking in superlatives,
Delphic have started 2010 as we all hope it will go on - with superb
music.
Comments
|
 |
|
INTERVIEW:
more