Owls of the Swamp “Meteorite” (Labelship, 2016)

With the gentle burble of synths and hushed vocals, OoTS sound like they are floating in space. Listening to this leads me to imagine a scenario where they’ve prematurely awoken from suspended animation on a 100 year voyage to a distant galaxy and are contemplating their plight, knowing they will die before their companions awake and feeling nostalgic for a world they’ve left behind. ‘Meteorite’ is a bumpier ride, though it still sounds like a neutered version of The XX.

‘How Long Have I Been Sleeping’ – this space opera idea really does have legs – uses guitars to feather the song. A banjo lurks down a darkened corridor, and the guitars twinkle like (you’ve guessed it) a passing constellation. These are songs for late night solo listening, ideal maybe for a tour on the International Space Station, where you can be immersed, drifting; otherwise they just tend to slide by. You have to stop and really listen to unlock their subtle charms.