Then Burn The Empire explodes into a vibrant life as singer Jack Cochrane rages against the puppeteers pulling our strings. The disturbing verse consists of an elegant, addictive chorus and a psychologically hovering middle eight.
Cochrane dug into Boris – well, it would be rude not to. But the empire they target belongs to “ruthless and unethical” global corporations.
Social media giants Facebook and Amazon condition it on sexy Zuckerpunch, with Jack pushing hard work and screen fatigue.
The song uses a broken beat reminiscent of pre-internet music – the sampling “eight-track golden age” when “that phone in your pocket had a few games in it”.
The stylish guitar break rides a wave of nostalgia, as do the lyrics to the old C&C Music Factory hit stuff that makes you go Hmmmm.
Indie Ballad 13, which is about being young and poor, “sipping from the bottle of life… choking on the pedal of life,” changes the mood.
The Snuts, a working class band from West Lothian, sing about the world that made them.
Knuckles, a tribute to strong women, is the indie pop that makes you feel good. The Rodeo is a softer, squishy foot that is addictive and instantly hooks.
The End of the Road, about a failed, unexpected relationship – a lavish duet with Croydon’s own Rachel Chinorri whose soothing vocals add surprising delicacy.
There’s another vocal, some funk and electrorock, but the Scots work better on driving numbers like Pigeons In New York.
“Why don’t we let the past go?” Jack sings. Although, as this album reminds us, sometimes the past can be the future.
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