Swayzak

On album number four the British pair of David Brown and James Taylor have relegated the laptop to recording duties in favour of ’70s and ’80s analog equipment in search of a warmer sound than previous computer-cool sessions. This time they start with an edgy ’80s pop vibe stabbed with electro, and melded with down-tempo, techno, rock, and touches of pop for a seemingly dance-friendly album. Unfortunately the album doesn’t quite hit the spot but it feels like it should, making me want to like it more than I actually do. There’s something about it that suggests it could be an explosive listen but that the ideas have been overworked, causing sounds and song structures to rest a shade away from standard in the mix’n’match genre game. However, it is clear from tracks like “Speakeasy,” with its jaunty, tight rhythm, filtered vocals and distorted alarm-like sound, that many of these songs will work better on big club systems than on your home stereo.