Marconi Union – Different Colours

The fifth LP from this Mancunian downbeat electronica outfit sees the addition of a third member – keyboard player Duncan Meadows – and a further refinement of the band’s ethereal, understated sound. Melodic, overlapping drones phase in and out over glossy, gentle chords and pulsing bass; tracks like Alone Together, with its barely-there tremulous guitars hanging over whispering synths, evoke the restrained, cinematic beauty of Labradford or Pan American.

If Marconi Union don’t always attain the intensity or otherworldly allure of those forebears, that reflects a certain evenness of tone: Different Colours is an irresistibly warm and seamless journey through post-rock and electronica’s dreamy hinterlands, but it would be interesting to juxtapose its bright textures with more melancholy shadows. Yet the sound always errs on the right side of restraint: there are no grandiose, emotive chord progressions or crescendos here, and as a consequence, the LP successfully maintains a kind of humming, quiet intensity.