Moose Blood - Blush

Rating:

Not just one step up, Moose Blood are bounding whole staircases at a time.

'Album' of 'the Week'

If every band suggested to have potential for great things actually fulfilled their promise, we’d be drowning in classic albums. The fact is, most don’t come anywhere near the lofty predictions pinned to their chests as they make their early steps.

Most. Not all. Some make it - though it may take years to realise. A very few find their stride quickly. It’s to that gilded group Moose Blood belong. ‘Blush’ is that most wondrous of second albums - one that manages to step up several levels, and yet not compromise itself in any way. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

Possessing an ease in its own skin, Moose Blood’s appeal is that they’re completely believable. There’s no grandstanding, no outlandish claims or forced persona. They’re a band on their own terms, with an album that forces nothing. In a good way.

Take ‘Knuckles’. Wearing the care free uniform of sunny side up rock, it leaps boundaries through sheer force of will. The more downbeat ‘Sulk’ is equally effective for the same reasons. In knowing who they are, Moose Blood are able to thread a DNA through every track. It makes for a cohesive record and standout cuts at the same time - a formula too rare to bottle. Stephen Ackroyd