Hudson Mohawke
Lantern
(Warp)
Six years after his debut, Glasgow's Ross Birchard returns with an album he has called restrained but which to many ears will sound like it's sticking to the same excessive maximalism employed in the past by him, and by his label-mate and fellow Glaswegian Rustie. What Birchard has done, though, is create a tremendously varied album, with an eclectic range of guest vocalists - the list runs from Antony Hegarty to R&B singer Jhene Aiko to DJ-producer Ruckazoid - and a sonic portfolio that serves up party bangers, slow-burn torch songs, soul music-sampling shufflers and drilling, distorted, semi-abstract broadcasts from the outer reaches. Penultimate track System actually sounds like something breaking - or maybe the death rattle of a terminally-ill Casiotone keyboard. There's real beauty here as well, though: in the pattering, pristine beats of Lil Djembe, in the epic chorus of Warriors and all over the Antony Hegarty track, Indian Steps. It's probably the album's purest moment of collaboration and, as if he's slightly in awe of Hegarty's voice and lyrical heft, Birchard gives it a semi-orchestral setting which is almost respectful. Pretty much everywhere else, though, his fierce, Puckish energy simply runs riot.
Barry Didcock
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