Crack

13/20

Young Magic comprise of a trio, two of whom hail from Australia, the other Indonesian-born, who have found a home in New York, and Melt is every bit as diverse at the band’s combined heritage might suggest.

The only word which can be applied with any certainty to the band’s sound is ‘electronic’. Ethereal vocals from multiple voices float over beats somewhere between tribal clatter and Brainfeeder-esque swagger, constructed as they are from unplaceable clicks and claps, while synthy, warped basslines grind away alongside. You With Air is the obvious standout for its hypnotically chanted vocal hook over a beguiling synth melody, monotone verse jabs and intricate production setting an absurdly high bar.

And, indeed, at other points Melt struggles to separate itself from so many others treading a similarly atmospheric, beaty, beaten path. You can’t accuse them of a shortage of imagination – eclectic is an understatement for the amount of ideas and reference points they are clearly trying to squeeze into the album. But perhaps they could benefit from honing in on a couple and perfecting them as they do to such striking effect on the aforementioned pearler.

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Words: Geraint Davies