It’s the ‘80s Jim, and just as we knew it. Manchester band Delphic’s brand of electropop has its roots firmly in the decade that gave us Depeche Mode, The Human League and New Order, and while their shiny, happy synth struts aren’t going to win many gongs for innovation, the Delphic-ians prove themselves more than able apes when the mood takes them. Unfortunately, recreating the halcyon days of Vince Clark, Phil Oakey and Bernard Sumner isn’t enough to make a really great album.
Collections is a frustrating listen. While they’re capable of creating the insistent clamour of brash opener ‘Of The Young’, the sun-kissed sci-fi lullaby of ‘Changes’ and the euphoric disco-ball that is ‘Memeo’, mid-tempo mediocrity looms large: ‘Freedom Found’ is so middle-of-the-road, it should be sporting cats’ eyes and a white line down its spine; ‘Don’t Let The Dreamers Take You Away’ is East 17-lite; while even the Muse-like serrated guitar and the Duran Duran-esque percussion à la ‘Wild Boys’ can’t save album centrepiece ‘Atlas’ from electro purgatory.
‘Tears Before Bedtime’ is much better, a series of answerphone messages overlaid with a simple piano melody and a shuffling, shambolic sense of aural arrhythmia that sees Delphic losing their new wave fixation and showing that underneath the shiny pop bombast, there are some talented musical minds at play. Similarly, the closing ‘Exotic’ hints at a deeper feel for soundscapes, combining hip-hop and dream pop to interesting effect.
Lead single ‘Baiya’ is easily the best thing here. It kicks into gear with a show of strings, before the insistent beats drag you under their spell for a cracking chorus and a stunning middle eight that single-handedly proves that – at their best – Delphic are more than capable of mixing it with the Friendly Fires and Passion Pits of this world.