Engineers - In Praise Of More

That bands have to make a name for themselves is a given in this day and age, and with a name like Engineers you’d have to go the extra mile to do well in search rankings (though those who get their wires crossed looking will likely instead be given the option of getting them fixed). The likes of Editors and The National have proven that music can beat the entire English speaking world at a game of Google hits, so chances are that the efforts of this London band - and their third album - are not in vain.

That third album, ‘In Praise Of More’, didn’t just come about. After their first album the band went on a four year hiatus, mainly due to a record company restructuring. Their second album ‘Three Fact Fader’ was released only last year, but chances are you haven’t seen them performing it live, as they had to cancel their tour due to line up changes. Now, almost six years after having initially surfaced, they’re back.

For their new album, they have attracted self-proclaimed electronica genius Ulrich Schnauss. As the name might lead you to think, he is German, but he hasn’t had led to Engineers sounding like a modern day Kraftwerk; they are still very much the same band, producing dreamy but powerful shoegaze, perfect for watching the cold and wet autumn arrive while seated indoors with the central heating soaring and a nice cup of chai latté. Opener ‘Twenty Paces’ is a light track that doesn’t immediately attract attention, allowing you to get settled to take in the rest. Next track ‘To An Evergreen’ has a slightly darker feel to it, a bit more ‘oomph’, with a subtle bass line that makes the song.

The remainder of the album continues to alternate between lighter songs, and tracks with a strong bass line or some more pronounced guitar work, such as ‘Press Rewind’, all bound together by the soothing voice of singer Simon Phipps. The tracks go very well together, but all feel rather similar: few stand out or would make the cut if alone. The main exception is the last song, ‘Nach House’, which reminds of the excellent ‘Infra’ album by that other German electronic genius, Max Richter.

Nevertheless, an album without stand-out tracks doesn’t have to be a bad thing: ‘In Praise Of More’ certainly has its attractions, though it can feel a bit bland on the first spin.