Awash in the damp grays and socio-political malaise of Brexit, the veteran post-Brit-poppers navigate the brackish waters with empathy and steely acceptance.
Loud, funny, astonishingly sophisticated -- and not in the least pretentious -- Battles' debut album gave free rein to the hyperkinetic style they hinted at with their early EPs. Tribal yet slick, playful yet precise, the band's labyrinthine dances of Krautrock, math rock and prog remain utterly infectious listening.
The misleadingly titled debut from the Durutti Column is an unassuming but enormously pretty album of guitar instrumentals with clear, unobtrusive production Martin Hannett. It's hard to imagine anything else sounding like this album when it came out at the beginning of the '80s, and it sounds just as distinctive and timeless now. Just listen to opening track "Sketch for Summer" and you'll be hooked for life.