Chapel Club - Good Together

This isn’t just a new album for Chapel Club, it’s a step in a completely different direction. ‘Good Together’ has two distinct settings: sometimes they flick the psychedelic, repetitive dance switch, and at others it’s the shimmering, falsetto-fuelled one. The vibes throughout, though, are most definitely high. The band’s new -found optimism has resulted in a far more accessible collection of songs than on 2011’s ‘Palace’. By no means have they ‘gone pop’, but they have given in to their strong pop sensibilities which were previously cloaked in reverb and melancholy.

Lewis Bowman delivers his vocals in a far more playful manner; there’s both more scope and more character to his voice. ‘Shy’, one of the album’s many highlights features him even going so far as to almost rap. Other strong moments include ‘Sleep Alone’ and ‘Scared’, showcasing his new-found love of falsetto.

The psychedelic and more obviously dance-influenced parts come later on in the form of the title track, ‘Fruit Machine’ and ‘Force You’. Even these have their pop moments, but the choruses are soon chopped up and repeated over the band’s experimentation with weird and wobbly sounds. Ridiculous maybe, but it works wonders.