A glance at previous occupants of the BBC’s annual ‘Sound of...’ wagers for musical domination in the ensuing year would seem to suggest Auntie knows best. Bloc Party, Klaxons, Foals, Vampire Weekend, McFly and La Roux had barely bothered the public conscious when they appeared in their respective years on the poll, but all have gone on to define the direction of pop music in one way or another, for better or worse. The prophecy is not necessarily self-fulfilling though, with many of their tips struggling to break beyond the initial hype. Either way, earning a healthy bronze position in this year’s list is a big deal for this six-legged Manchester outfit, and a great deal of their future is riding on the success of Acolyte.

Album opener ‘Clarion Call’ sets the scene aptly with a punchy, theatrical progression of climatic synths and choppy guitar, filled with desperation and ambition. Anyone who has been following the band and the three singles this album has spawned until now will be familiar with their brand of spaced out euphoric pads, massive hooks and ping-pong clicks and blips, a sound they coherently abide by throughout. In doing so, they manage to effectively channel the spirit of 90s acid house and earnest 80s synth groups through a strong grounding in modern indie songwriting. Beyond the three singles released in the buildup to this record, the highlight is certainly the pulsating ‘Halcyon’, a future hit for sure.

Unfortunately the boldness of the instrumentation is let down at times by the lyrics which, although well delivered, grope slightly too often at vague concepts without really saying anything deep. Likewise, in places the dynamic shifts and build-ups are too abrupt and unsubtle to give this release the immersive qualities it calls for.

Although not without flaws, Acolyte is a robust and well-crafted collection. It has the potential to cement Delphic as a formidable entity in the British music scene, and may lead them to fill a position which has been conspicuously vacant of late in the world of mature English pop. If Acolyte is indicative of the sound of 2010, we should be in for a good year.

Val Thomas