Stuttered and broken beats return but, over a decade on, Darkstar sound obscured and withdrawn

The loose shuffle of "Jam" or "Wolf" might allude to the communality of the dancefloor, but consistent suggestions of space and vacancy elsewhere cast this in hollow relief. Reflecting the influence of the shoegazing bands of the '90s, Whalley’s vocals are whispered and disembodied, set against giant, funereal chords. Even the album’s most club-ready percussive elements sound brittle and plaintive.

The pair admit having to “jump around a bit” to make the album, due to studios closing down or becoming too expensive – the creep of gentrification a component of the writing process as much as an influence. And, though the album was written before the effects of a global pandemic bedded in, its motifs of isolation and distance speak clearly to our current moment – mourning for places to gather hit hard by the actual and symbolic sterilisation of public space.