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The title of the follow up to 2008's self titled debut, Glasvegas, couldn't be more apt; while there are glimmers of hope, it's an over-riding sense of gloom that again characterises the record.
From the opening track Pain Pain Never Again, a muffled spoken word intro which rings bells with the debut album's Stabbed, the band seem unwilling to let go of the despair they built their name on. But, thanks either to the influence of super-producer Flood or a few years out to mature and cheer themselves up a but, there are some moments of genuine euphoria.
Pain Pain Never Again gives way to The World Is Yours, which is easily their best song to date. It's hard to make out what the very very Scottish James Allan is singing about, but the gorgeous pounding drums, courtesy of new drummer Jonna Lofgren, and soaring synths make for an atmospheric, Bloc Party-eqsue belter.
Synths dominate Euphoric /// Heartbreak\\\, but crunching, fuzzy guitars are never too far away, and they sound more like The Jesus and Mary Chain than ever. The theme continues with Shine Like Stars which is lyrically almost unnervingly cheerful: "Yesterday my happiness seemed so far away, now it looks like its here to stay," sings Allan. He's careful not to let things get too jolly though, and there's a pleading, desperate twinge to his vocals. The result is a gorgeous, melancholic mix of pummelling synths and crunching guitars.
Whatever Hurts You Through The Night looks to M83 for its doom-ridden electronica, while Lots Sometimes is a seven minute tear-jerker which sees Allan revert to his lyrics of yore: "I don't wanna live without you anymore..."
Closing track Change sees Allan whispering his vocals over a fluttering piano, before giving way to a spoken word piece from a mother to her son. "I don't think I could ever ever change," Allan claims and, with his heavily accented vocals, recent press revelations about drugs overdoses during the band's 2009 tour, and continued references to his troubled past, it's the most honest lyric on the album - he doesn't want us to forget where he's come from.
There are no obvious singles to appeal to the post-Libertines audience which propelled their debut to Number 2 in the charts - quite an achievement for a record with violence and absent fathers as its key themes. Euphoric /// Heartbreak\\\ is a more accomplished, interesting piece of work; a brutal but exhilarating listen. Yet without the hype that surrounded its predecessor, and with a distinct change of tact, it might struggle to find its natural home.
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