Delphic - Acolyte

Having been making music together for the best part of six years, some might say that Mancunians James Cook, Matt Cocksedge, Richard Boardman and Dan Hadley’s time to ‘make it’ as musicians has been and gone. That would be quite unfair. As Snowfight in the City Centre, the four displayed real potential. While it was clear that many thought the same, important people didn’t come knocking, so things didn’t work out, leading to a split in May of 2007.

However, the band regrouped, and, following a name change and a shift in sound, began working as Delphic. The group have so far released a handful of knockout singles, but of course, a few stunning singles does not a great debut album make. ‘Acolyte’ quite clearly relies on new songs, six of the album’s tracks being new. Granted, while the band didn’t exactly have a wealth of material written prior to the album, the finished product is ambitious enough to suggest that even if they’d been in a position in which they could have played it safe and, say, propped up new songs with old singles, they wouldn’t have. In fact, anyone who’s expecting the album to be full of immediacy, do yourself a favour and stop reading now. It’s definitely more of a ‘grower’ album – and the rewards are great indeed if you give it time.

‘Clarion Call’ opens the record, and is set to become quite the live song, if the studio version is anything to by. It explodes into life halfway through, silencing those who have dismissed Delphic as lacking in power. One thing becomes clear by the time the song comes to an abrupt halt, and it’s something that’s going to be the cornerstone of any criticism levelled at the band in the wake of the album’s release: the record’s production has made the music seem emotionless and calculated. Most anyone who has seen the band live will say that they are quite intense on stage. It’s a real shame, then, that they decided to run with this sound on record, as a warmer-sounding debut would have worked wonders for them.

This is a stumbling block, yes, but one that becomes less of a concern with each listen. Singles ‘Doubt’ and ‘This Momentary’ showcase the band’s ear for melody, as well as their songwriting. While comparisons have been made to New Order and Kraftwerk, there’s some Bloc Party in the mix as well – ‘Doubt’’s guitar solo is proof of this.

However, ‘Acolyte’ as a whole has much more in common with dance and rave music than indie rock. This is indicated quite clearly by its lengthy title track, which is probably the most out-there thing the band have recorded to date, relying on atmospherics and crescendos, rather than being driven by its hook, which is slowly overtaken by everything going on around it. A breathtaking nine minutes, it shows that Delphic are more than just one-trick ponies.

It is followed by ‘Halcyon’, the most likely of the new tracks to become a single (though ‘Red Lights’ has single potential as well, the perfect way to pick things up again after ‘This Momentary’). It sounds Klaxons-esque at parts, although more because of the vocals than anything else, some of you will be quite relieved to hear. It also boasts quite the chorus.

‘Submission’ is next; a track that’s been knocking about in demo form for a while, the album version is very much an improvement on its predecessor. Beefed up quite considerably, it has quite the amount of ‘oomph’ to it, as well as a guitar solo that could be best described as, well, ripping. This three-song sequence sums up the album very well indeed: three completely different songs that still manage to sound as though they’re by the same band.

A sparkling new mix of debut single ‘Counterpoint’, a song that has a good chance of becoming a classic – and a re-release would be a wise move – sets up ‘Acolyte’’s penultimate track. ‘Ephemera’ is two minutes of gentle vocals, a perfect contrast to the rush of ‘Counterpoint’ that calms things down considerably for the album closer, ‘Remain’, which finishes the album in excellent fashion.

Delphic have gotten their year off to an absolute flyer with this record. Though its sound says otherwise, you get the feeling that the band have poured everything they’ve got into making it. The production issue is only a slight niggle when you look at the bigger picture. However, by far the best thing about ‘Acolyte’ is its replay value. The songs come into their own after you’ve spent some time with them, and there’s no higher praise to give an album, really.