Danielson - Ships

To be a successful indie band these days it seems all you need is a Canadian passport. But if your birthplace deceives you don't panic - it's just as prudent to sound Canadian. Ask New Jersey's Danielson; a group that fully embraces the melodic musings of Montreal on new album 'Ships'. Signed to the same label as Antony & The Johnsons, they emit the aural wonderment of Wolf Parade and combine it with the lunatic obscurity of The Unicorns. Guest starring Sufjan Stevens and Deerhoof, it's a bewildering album that piously alternates between enchantment and confusion. Undeniably biblical, it's deftly layered and meticulously crafted whilst retaining a unique childlike simplicity, particularly in the mischievous mimicry of Did I Step On Your Trumpet? Sadly, a lingering sense of its contemporaries detracts from the record's innovative idealism, but Ships is enriching enough to ensure you're not bored of Canada just yet. [Billy Hamilton]