Producing a new sound with the same old instruments is in itself a daunting task considering what’s already been done. Late of the Pier’s Fantasy Black Channel enters full force with a sound that, as inhabitants of the 21st century, we have in one way or another heard time and time again. However repetitive, the Nottingham boys maintain their composure and originality. Their instrumentation is akin to Explosions in the Sky sprinkled with some of the infectiousness of The Cars, and all together, attempting to remain excitedly like The Rapture.

Tracks such as ‘Broken’ exemplify this point, sounding a little like a delicate interpretation of ‘Out of the Races and onto the Tracks’ while ‘Space and the Woods’ sounds like an energetic recreation of Gary Numan’s ‘Cars.’ This, however is of no matter. The boys produce a refreshing sound with outstandingly enjoyable slow-moving vocals.

If their debut were an exam for adoptability and likeability, it’s safe to say that they’ve passed with flying colors. Being produced by Erol Alkin assured this before we even heard note one’ and rightly so. Tracks like ‘Random Firl’ and ‘Heartbeat’ are captivating while keeping their genre-spanning inspirations in check. Perhaps not the most innovative outing, but Late of the Pier have cemented themselves as qualified challengers to a genre that has grown tiresome and mundane. Their efforts are ambitious and commendable, but it seems like it will end up as one of those albums that may captivate you for a couple weeks’but will eventually be ousted from your recently played.

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