Trembling Bells – The Constant Pageant

While Alex Neilson may be the driving force behind the band, it’s still inevitable that the most arresting thing about any new Trembling Bells album will be Lavinia Blackwall and there’s no change in the pattern here. Her voice remains bravely forthright and possessing a sense of olde English charm that resonates naturally with Neilson’s somberly rousing melodies, Otley Rock Oracle’s trippy wanderlust being the only point where the music is able to distract from her dominance, a sprawling mass of proggy organ, flight-footed percussion and a guitar solo that is perverse in its unpredictability.

The English roots shine through proud and strong on Goathland, but there is a much greater influence from across the pond too, All My Favourite Mistakes emitting a headily potent Jefferson Airplane vibe that possibly marks the most jaunty moment in the band’s history. This combination of broader influences, a steady improvement in composition and musicianship and an even keener ear for toe-tapping melodies makes it undoubtedly their most accessible work yet.