Arab Strap return with their eighth album, two decades into a second act that has proved more durable than the first. The Glasgow duo still work with the same ingredients, Aidan Moffat's spoken-word observations over Malcolm Middleton's guitar lines and programmed beats, but the proportions keep shifting. Here the electronics sit higher in the mix than on recent records, with drum machines and synth pads given more room to dictate the mood.
The tracklist runs long at fourteen songs, and not all of them earn their place. Some sketches feel like they are marking time between stronger ideas. When it works, though, the combination of Moffat's dry delivery and Middleton's textured backdrops still has bite. The slower pieces let the space breathe. The busier ones lean into repetition without quite crossing into dance music.
This will appeal to listeners who have followed the band through their stop-start history, and to anyone drawn to UK indie rock that favours atmosphere over hooks. It is not the place to start if you are new to them, but it confirms they are still capable of making records that sound like no one else.
