06 10

Blank Realm Illegals in Heaven Fire Records

27.08.15

Illegals in Heaven lives between past and present fun. Blank Realm’s fourth LP, it’s impulsive yet nostalgic – it’s pulling on your shoes and running across fields when you were a kid, running into green and more green, unashamedly freed.

The Australian band channel this feeling of reflective escapism from fizzy opener No Views. The over-arching impulsiveness of the album is captured in its eminently shoutable chorus: “I’ve got no views on it, it’s just something that I did”. ‘Just do it’, it seems to whisper. Lead single River of Longing speaks only in the most hopeful of terms. “Meet me on the other side / and we’ll make up for stolen time” chant sibling singers Daniel and Sarah, arms outstretched – “won’t you take me by the hand?” It bubbles over with an unbridled, youthful charm.

It’s not all incredible – dreamy slow-burner Cruel Night sort of plinks and plonks into nothingness and the lyrics on Gold are slightly cheesy – but if you can be in a band for as long as these guys have and still conjure a naked flame of joy like this, then you’ve got something that’ll arouse a smile in almost anyone – and that’s something to be enjoyed forever.