Aereogramme - My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go

If long-term ambition guaranteed success, we'd be spared the box-ticking insipidity of The Kooks. But in the modern world, people are just too damn eager for the instantaneous one-hit fix dispensed by the ever eager majors. And that's a crying shame, because Aereogramme's fourth LP, My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go, is a glowing testament to slow-burning development. Awash with bittersweet laments, this is the radiant sound of a group devoted to haunting melodies that pluck a chord on every fragile heart string. Each track oozes subtlety: from 'Finding A Light's sumptuous xylophone intro to the string-laden eeriness of Nightmares, it's a banquet for the musically ravenous. And if the stunning 'Barriers' isn't 2007's most jaw-droppingly beautiful ballad, well, my proverbial hat will be consumed. Utterly engrossing and staggeringly ambitious, My Heart Has a Wish... is a prime example of the great heights that a little longevity can take you to. [Billy Hamilton]