And So I Watch You From Afar – Heirs

The last few years have seen a glut of so-called ‘post-rock’ bands finding synths down the back of their respective sofas and attempting to redirect their sound towards the dancefloor. Vessels and PVT have succeeded to some degree, and it’s a trick Belfast’s And So I Watch You From Afar pulled off with 2013’s All Hail Bright Futures.

So it’s interesting that their fourth album is all about the guitar again. That’s not to say that this is a step back. Far from it; the jaunty feel remains and trademark chanted vocals have morphed into a more conventional vocal arrangement on People Not Sleeping and These Secret Kings I Know, pitched up on typically crunchy riffs. Elsewhere, A Beacon, A Compass, An Anchor crackles with boundless energy. Heirs neatly summarises everything And So I Watch You From Afar have created so far – moody and glowering but with an increasingly sunny outlook. A compelling experience from top to bottom. [Stu Lewis]