Cruiser - Northern Electric

Six long years have passed since Cruiser first released Northern Electric. During that time a plethora of presupposed indie-saviours toppled as dramatically as they rose while Canada emerged as the holy-land of exhilarating musical miscreants and Britney Spears exchanged her pop-princess pig tails for an infinitely less cutesy combination of burgers and booze. But amidst the tectonic commotion one constant remained: Northern Electric is still a jaw-dropping slice of sonic mastery as fresh as the glistening morning dew. Swirling breathlessly through the cranium like an inter-galactic My Latest Novel, the Cowdenbeath ensemble's re-released debut is gloriously infused with tender synth-led flourishes like Blown and the whimsical lilting of Hooligan Noise. Every swooning track tingles to a shy, elegiac pop melody that traverses into tear-duct orchestrations so honest they make Belle & Sebastian seem callous. Gorgeous and timeless, the sound of Cruiser's Northern Electric will have the next six years flying in. (Billy Hamilton)