Cristobal and the Sea – Sugar Now

Intricate, multicultural, multilingual goth-tinged folk band Cristobal and the Sea have plenty of plates spinning, but handle them all with due care and attention. With Spanish, French, Portuguese and British nationalities at work, and the production duties of Rusty Santos (previously responsible for Animal Collective and Beach House), Sugar Now is a largely eclectic listen – but one that relies on some well-repeated tricks.

Opener Counting Smiles is restrained and rustic, with melancholia and well-timed acoustic twangs in spades. Fish Eye, the record’s undisputed stand-out track, borrows a sense of atmosphere from The Cure circa Disintegration – there’s no higher praise. However, after such strong beginnings it’s unfortunate, then, that the record runs out of steam toward the latter minutes, with a trio of tracks which could easily blend into one – or be done without all together. It's a happy relief that Miasma offers a refreshed, reignited finale, twisting the many threads running throughout the album into a celebratory, colourful conclusion – full of the good omens with which the record started, and enough to have you reaching for a(nother) repeat listen. [Katie Hawthorne]