Secret Cities – Strange Hearts

Always Friends; Ice Cream Scene; The Park – just reading the names of the first three tracks of Secret Cities’ second album might cause seizures in the twee-intolerant. On listening, it makes perfect sense, acting as a serving suggestion for maximum impact: who to listen with, how to dine appropriately, and where to do it.

The opener lilts to life (that’s lilt as in ‘totally tropical taste’, as well as ‘light, rhythmic swing’), setting up an album reminiscent of the laid-back kitsch-pop of Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele – though here, the palette is more interestingly diverse, with Magnificent Ukulele accompanied by Splendid Singing Saw, Resplendent Trumpet and, er, Glorious Electric Bowtie (an experiment with contact microphones pressed against Adam’s Apples, adding to the slightly off-kilter air). Its brevity is a bonus – just as it threatens to lose lustre, it’s over, nudging you to pour another and play again. [Chris Buckle]