His shimmering melodies float in a haze of mid-noughties electronica, as the lyrics, rarely straying from the ''mild romantic angst'' pages of the lexicon of love, add to its haunting, lovelorn air.
The touchstones are obvious, with James Blake's drowsy electro-minimalism hanging heavy over I Can't Swim; those juicily evocative keyboards, however, are sorely missed when the hooks flag and the lyrics eventually sink into directionless cliche.
• Elliot Moss. Highspeeds. Pod Records.
• Two and a half stars (out of five)
Single download: I Can't Swim
For those who like: James Blake, The Postal Service
- John Hayden
