Múm – Smilewound

Six albums in, and Múm’s combination of live instrumentation, ethereal harmonies and digital fixings has birthed another cracker. Opener Toothwheels showcases their now-familiar trick of sounding sparse despite stuffing all manner of attractive bits and pieces into the mix, and they maintain this subtle balance throughout, filling their arrangements with bountiful nuances without rendering their songwriting a barrage of quirks.

There’s a satisfying tangibility to tracks like Sweet Impressions, in which robust drums contrast nicely with the brittle beats elsewhere, while Time to Scream and Shout demonstrates their undiminished way with an alt-lullaby. Then, as if to gild their emergent pop credentials, Smilewound closes with something guaranteed to bend ears outside the Icelandic band’s usual catchment: a Kylie collaboration that marries Miss Minogue’s breathy vocals to a soaring mix of tom rolls and string swells. Elegantly emotive, it warrants immediate entry into the upper tiers of both parties’ respective catalogues. [Chris Buckle]