Delphic – Acolyte
You have to feel slightly sorry for Delphic; a much-hyped dance rock outfit from Manchester weighed down with comparisons to the untouchable New Order . ‘Acolyte’ in fact, more closely follows in the footsteps of Friendly Fires with electronica, emotion and glossy production very much to the fore.
Recent single ‘Doubt’ comes complete with the kind of clever, infectious synth breaks that make perfect sense of the New Order comparisons. Opener ‘Clarion Call’ and the A-ha -like ‘Submission’ master that difficult euphoria/melancholia trick whilst ‘Red Lights’ is amongst several tracks which demonstrate that one of this threesome’s main strengths is their harmonies.
On the debit side, several songs here sound like extended mixes with the title track being a major culprit; a fine example of what may sound great on the dancefloor can sound repetitive and tedious in the home environment. Also, even if the energy levels of the band are constantly high the finale ‘Remain’ represents subtle relief.
Beneath the gloss there’s certainly some evidence of substance to be found but the album is a little too slick to be loveable. This being a debut album though, it’s perhaps no great surprise that they can’t hold their form from beginning to end. Album number two, therefore, will be the real test.
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