Breakage

Roots Manuva once said 'Breakage talks to submarine life, he talks to the squids'. But a penchant for cinematic, sub-aquatic sounds aside, has Breakage left it too long to deliver his third album? From the operatic grandeur of opener 'Vellocet' (not unlike a vocal-free version of 11:11) to 'Aquamission' and 'To Be Around You', it's the instrumentals that impress the most. Liam Bailey on 'Revelation' is a great voice looking for a great song, and 'Treading Water' is too close to Magnetic Man for comfort, but further collabs with Calyx ('Own Worst Enemy'), Madi Lane and Mercedes do raise the pressure. The closing ballad 'Bad Blood' with Jess Mills, meanwhile, already sounds like a summer anthem. Too late? No, just made it.