Scottish alt-rockers
Glasvegas
' 2008 debut landed the brooding Glaswegians a Mercury Prize nomination.
' winning but not-so-subtle amalgamation of
U2
,
Echo & the Bunnymen
Joy Division
, late-period
Depeche Mode
, and
the Jesus and Mary Chain
hinted at a band that was ready to make a go of it, and their simple, earnest lyrics, as filtered through the thick yet sweet brogue of frontman
James Allan
, had listeners swooning, despite all of the band's sonic redundancies. Written, demoed, and tracked at a beach house in Santa Monica, California before undergoing final production under the direction of producer
Flood
in London,
Euphoric Heartbreak
delivers much of the same. At its most immediate, like on the standout tracks
"Shine Like Stars,"
the
Disintegration
-era
Cure
-inspired
"Whatever Hurts You Through the Night,"
and the soaring title cut, the latter of which would sit snugly amidst the teenage ruin of a
John Hughes
prom scene, the band sounds ready for battle. ~ James Christopher Monger