Milagres: Violent Light

With most of their 2011 debut ( Glowing Mouth ) written by then-hospitalised frontman Kyle Wilson following an accident, the album was, unsurprisingly, laden with heavy, occasionally sinister undertones. The Brooklynites' second effort is an infinitely perkier affair, generally more focused on vibrant synth lines and neat, danceable beats than creating atmosphere. Perennial Bulb and Column of Streetlight owe a debt to TV on the Radio and underrated Canadian indie band The Dears. But there is a rich British influence as well, most notable on the industrial, grimy Depeche Mode-esque swagger of The Black Table and unabashed Bowie pastiches Jeweled Cave and The Letterbox . The album is certainly listenable, but by over-sharpening their edges Milagres seem to have mislaid some of the charisma that made their first fare so engaging. milagresmusic.com
Download: Perennial Bulb, Another Light