Engineers - Three Fact Fader

It’s appropriate that the droning opening track to Three Fact Fader builds out of silence, as it reflects Engineers' emergence from uncertain times. Although their resurfacing ironically coincides with a slight return for shoegaze, Engineers have embellished their dream-pop bedrock for album number two. Three Fact Fader is an LP bookended by lush electronic grooves, beautifully captured by the Harmonia-sampling Clean Coloured Wire and the lolloping What Pushed Us Together. Elsewhere, tastefully constructed string textures are strapped on to the quartet’s core instrumentation, their chamber pop timbres sounding like Field Music on a lengthy acid trip.

The most explicit development in the band’s sound, however, is in the realm of rhythm, equally reminiscent to the scintillating syncopation of Eno as Elbow during the shapeshifting Song For Andy. Considering that public support was a key factor in guiding this long-incubated project through difficult times, you’d forgive the band for being nervous about handing over the final outcome. But this return shows that Engineers shouldn't have worries, having successfully introduced pop nous and a pounding backbeat to their repertoire while retaining the dreamy appeal that made them special.