Glasvegas – Later... When the TV Turns to Static

It’s not often a band wanes with a curve as smooth as that shown by Glasvegas, descending from heart-conquering bright young things to Later…’s graceless mire in three short steps. That’s the problem when your name becomes overblown overnight – pretty soon, you'll be stretched thin to bursting point.

The title track comes closest to recalling the alchemy that won their eponymous debut widespread devotion, but the trick’s grown familiar and lost its thrill, and the band’s swollen, wet-eyed emotion struggles to forge a connection. The problem repeats throughout, with songs like guileless lead single I’d Rather Be Dead (Than Be With You) hitting familiar cues but sounding like tired shadows of past highs.

Once, James Allan’s tortured song-writing soared; now it plods and scowls, and while there are indications of where Glasvegas might go next to remedy the slump (for instance, the simple, Kayleigh-aping vocal melody of Choices), they still have their work cut out. [Chris McCall]