Metronomy have delivered yet another brilliant album in the form of Nights Out, following on from their ‘06 Pip Paine. This one is brilliant, and I put the emphasis on brilliant. From start to finish every track is uniquely different, and it’s not often that I come across an album that I completely fall in love with. Yep, I sound like an enthusiast but I only stumbled upon these lads from the UK because of their remixes of artists like Sebastien Tellier, Kate Nash and the Gorillaz. The trio of Joseph Mount, Gabriel Stebbing and Oscar Cash are a multi-instrumental electronic outfit whose music edges towards potential hits, with their high-caliber selection of pop songs that marry experimental electronica with indie-style vocals.

Joseph Mount has produced a vocal electro pop album filled with infectious lyrics that are portray of a ‘night out’ on the town. There’s a touch of melancholy behind it; a breakup album full of songs that are the soundtrack to a bad night out. And it offers the heartbroken the prospect of a good dance to soothe their woes. Often the band builds upon the foundation of a basic synth line in the songs, which evolve into an intricate mix of sounds and layers. The first-rate hooks have a progressive edge to them, something that’s achieved through melody and structural tweaks that are heightened in pitch. There’s also a musical mix of instruments that include keyboards/synths, bass, saxophone, guitar and vocals that flow between each track.

Radio Ladio was the first song to see the light of day late last year, followed quickly by My Heart Rate Rapid and Holiday. The recent fourth release Heartbreaker uses the resounding vocal line of “I heard she broke your heart again, so now you’re gonna come and see me”, recounting that familiar situation when a friend gets hurt again and you’re left to console them. The barrage of screeching synths mixed with saxophone and 80s slap bass is an unlikely backdrop to a song about friendship prevailing over a failed relationship, but the lyrics make it one of the star tracks of the album. Other tracks that imapct heavily include A Thing For Me, Back on the Motorway and On Dancefloors as the last three tracks of the album, all integrating into a consistent monologue on the disillusion related to romance.

It’s this building upon the simple synth lines that makes Metronomy’s progressive-electro stand out, and it’s one that improves with each listen. Musically they’re a cool collection of pop songs with the potential to crack the mainstream, and their indie-style aloof vocals contrasts beautifully with their melodies. Joseph Mount and Metronomy should be marked as one of the up-and-coming acts to look out for coming out of the UK.