Public Service Broadcasting - The Last Flight 
(SO Recordings/Silva Screen Records)
Release Date: Out Now
What I love most about the niche that Public Service Broadcasting have carved for themselves is the sheer bloody uniqueness of it. The bespectacled quartet's new album, 'The Last Flight', shows off that eccentricity and endeavour to be their own sound brilliantly so join me as I dive in for a swim in these unusual waters. The pithy nine track album opens with 'I Was Always Dreaming', an appropriately light and airy piano based track with an orchestra pit warming up, respectfully, all around us. 'Towards The Dawn' picks the pace significantly with a rattling riff and stomping drums giving a fizz of energy to the spoken word recordings of Amelia Earhart, another brilliantly unique pioneer.
Former single 'The Fun Of It' features Andreya Casablanca on vocals and is still as uplifting and shoulder-easingly brilliant as ever before 'The South Atlantic', with This Is The Kit on delicately folkish vocal duties, creates a warm and soothing wash of a soundscape for us to bath in. 'Electra' is a clattering and jazz inspired slice of performativity that builds in intensity, noise and instrumentation to create the experience of being on a sonic airplane hurtling down the runway before taking off into the wide blue yonder. 'Arabian Flight' keeps the velocity going (always important on a flight, velocity) but with more control and finesse before 'Monsoons' creates a stabbing, erratic indie-rock sound that sounds like Young Knives with Pathe newsreel archive footage being sporadically fed into the mix.
EERA joins the party for 'A Different Kind Of Love' and her soft, sweet vocals add a certain calm to proceedings as we float, seemingly effortlessly, above the clouds. The sadness and regret seeps from final track 'Howland' like the tears shed for Earhart after her plane missed its planned refuelling station on the aforementioned island with the strings swirling all around like a flurry of angels. This album is cinematic, ambitious and beautiful as well as being a brilliant testament to a particularly unique historical character. Strong album of the year potential.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/PUBLICSERVICEBROADCASTING
Live Dates:
Mon 18 Nov - Denmark, Copenhagen, Vega
Tue 19 Nov - Germany, Berlin, Columbia Theatre
Wed 20 Nov - Germany, Munich, Ampere
Thu 21 Nov - Switzerland, Zurich, Mascotte
Sat 23 Nov - Italy, Milan, Arci Bellezza
Mon 25 Nov - Spain, Barcelona, La Nau
Tue 26 Nov - Spain, Madrid, Sala Copérnico
Wed 27 Nov - Spain, San Sebastian, Dabadaba Club
Fri 29 Nov - France, Paris, Petit Bain
Tue 18 Mar - UK, Truro, Hall for Cornwall
Weds 19 Mar - UK, Bath, The Forum
Thu 20 Mar - UK, Oxford, New Theatre
Fri 21 Mar- UK, Wolverhampton, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
Sun 23 Mar - UK, Liverpool, Olympia
Tue 25 Mar - UK, Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Wed 26 Mar - UK, Sheffield, Octagon Theatre
Thu 27 Mar - UK, York, Barbican
Fri 28 Mar - UK, Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
Sat 29 Mar - UK, Margate, Dreamland Hall By The Sea