Reviews
November: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Month's listening sorted
High Contrast 'Night Gallery' (3 Beat)
A fizzing creative marvel whether he’s making films, producing Underworld’s album or creating cinematic d’n’b masterpieces, Lincoln Barrett has always been something of an outlier – and now we know why. His sixth album is his grand musical departure, featuring straight-up rock (‘Shotgun Mouthwash’), Daft Punk-shaped house jams (‘The Beat Don’t Feel the Same’ feat Boy Matthews), stunning euphoric downtempo ballads (‘Save Somebody’ feat Callum Beattie) and his own vocals, keys, bass and guitar. Precisely half of the 14 tracks here are drum ‘n’ bass, and yet that feels almost incidental: this is a big, ambitious and shimmering dance/indie record in the Moby or Fatboy Slim mould, unapologetically swollen with huge choruses and hooks which careen towards the listener. There is surely no turning back from here. With sold-out live band solo shows already crushed, and Radio 1 giving daytime play to every single, our man just hit the next level. Ewen Cook
8/10
