Machines in Heaven – bordersbreakdown

The plentiful supply of electro-pop cascading from Glasgow shows no sign of drying up. With Miaoux Miaoux becoming the city's go-to producer and CHVRCHES now in the seemingly cast-iron grip of commercial success, there's a vacancy for an alternative act with crowd-pleasing digital hooks.

With bordersbreakdown, Machines in Heaven make a solid claim for the job. The trio's sound is more multi-layered and beat driven and, on the nine-minute title track especially, is not afraid to start a journey with a gentle guitar part that quickly takes extended detours through forests of sonic variety. There's also plenty of punch in shorter tracks like the stand-out single Parliament is Made of Rice Paper. 

Happily, despite often surprising, this is an album that is readily accessible, and does not sound as if it's been created to impress bedroom producers. Not quite made in heaven perhaps, but certainly a record worth reaching to the sky for.