Rating: NNNN
For Delgados fans whose fascination with the Glaswegian group was sparked by their last two outings, The Great Eastern and Hate, Universal Audio will be hard to swallow. Flouting trends and success in favour of whim and inspiration, the Delgados drop the super-baroque orchestrations that have defined their millennial sound and ply pared-down stratospheric pop in its stead. The mood is snappier as well, the pleasantly jubilant songs belying the angsty genius of the earlier albums. There’s a certain lack of consistency in the songwriting, with Emma Pollock’s succeeding more often than bandmate Alun Woodward’s. Even with that wobbliness, it’s top sonic fare. Despite the stripped-down treatment of the songs, this is the band’s most nuanced effort to date.
