The Monochrome Set – Spaces Everywhere

The injustices wrought by the fallout of the UK's post-punk explosion are infamous and many. While mavericks such as Wire and The Fall secured a loyal audience, and acts more easily quantifiable (The Cure, Killing Joke) found mainstream success, the left-field struggled to gain a lasting foothold. The Sound, arguably the scene's finest, are barely remembered and The Monochrome Set might have skulked quietly away years ago, their ornate chamber pop ever a cause for critical rather than commercial success.

But here they are again with studio album number twelve. A showcase for the low key narratives of enigmatic leader Bid, Spaces Everywhere is an unhurried work, whose outward cheeriness tells only half the story. Nigh on impossible to dislike and, at its best (the pointed intimacies of A Little Village), a vibrant reminder that the young 'uns don’t know everything, money only makes you miserable and music – as ever – is its own reward.