Distant Hearts, A Little Closer

Since 1999’s excellent Lost At Sea, one of the best named bands in the Western world have swelled in ranks from a duo to a quartet. Not to mention the innumerable contributions from a stellar cast of fellow travelers and musical mavericks along the way. Distant Hearts, A Little Closer is a stirring statement of intent. The frayed, fuzzy edges of their debut are serrated in favour of crisp, clean guitar strokes and vocals that are for the most part totally intelligible. The openers ‘The Slaves Are In The Galleys, Sharpening Their Oars’ and ‘Things Asleep In The Sun’ encapsulate the newly found sense of ‘Arse purpose, perfectly rounded and containing plenty of clipped, barbed wire lines of acerbic humour. “Evolution saw him sleeping and decided it was best just not to wake him,” holler the JOA male choir as the song swells up into a rousing crescendo.

Uprooting for a short-term recording move to Chicago to acquire the much talked about services of Steve Albini has proved to live up to the gamble. As with any great Albini project, the secret of his production is to give the songs the entire studio for maximum breathing room. Nothing is cloaked in unnecessary walls of sound, but neither does he indulge the cheap cop out of lo-fi messiness.

Devastatingly effective, lovingly sensitive and at this moment in time totally on the button.