HEALTH – Death Magic

If brooding, primal opener Victim is anything to go by, you'd be forgiven for thinking HEALTH are going back to their confrontational roots with their first proper record in six years, but it's not long before they begin to push their pop sensibilities to the forefront, as they did with their two DISCO LPs. Lead single Stonefist boasts the LA quartet's otherworldly style of aggressive, sexy electronica, whereas the ethereal Life soundtracks heartache on the dancefloor.

There are less sonic detours here than before – the aim is consistency, and thus it's a much less daring outing than their previous output. Still, they continue to flirt with the sweet spot between electronic noise and dance music, a zone many never even knew existed before these boys showed up on the scene. Some will miss the disjointed playfulness and unpredictability of their initial output, but there's something to be said for Death Magic in that this is the most human HEALTH have ever sounded. [Ross Watson]