For Tycho’s fifth album Scott Hansen has expanded the project from a solo concern to an all-out group. In the process he has shifted the focus from instrumental to vocal, and the label – intriguingly – from Ghostly to Ninja Tune. All feel like natural progressions, as the essential philosophy behind Tycho remains, that of blissed-out music that soothes the head but inspires the heart. The presence of vocals makes that inspiration more direct and emotional, and for that Saint Sinner is the ideal foil. Songs like ‘Pink & Blue’ feel deep and meaningful, with soft vocals above the busy beats, with the same applying to ‘For How Long’ and ‘No Stress’. The two instrumentals that bookend the album, ‘Easy’ and ‘Weather’, are knitted together nicely, though ‘Into The Woods’ in the middle is especially good. The running time – just under half an hour – makes this more EP than album, but it means there is no padding as Tycho hit all the right parts.
Ben Hogwood
4 out of 5
TYCHO – WEATHER – NINJA TUNE
