For their second album, Solar Bears have recorded in a proper studio for the first time, and it sounds it.

Supermigration

builds on the promise of 2010’s home-recorded

She Was Coloured In,

as the Dublin/Wicklow duo marshal their array of psychedelic, Krautrock, electronic and cinematic influences into a much more coherent and confident record, complete with a new affinity for pop hooks. It’s more refinement than reinvention, but superbly executed. Vocals take centre stage on the effervescent

Alpha People

and

Our Future Is Underground,

which boasts a memorable turn from

Beth Hirsch

of Air’s

All I Need

fame. Indeed, some of the more subdued moments share Air’s effortless Gallic cool, but Solar Bear’s fast-developing live show has made the greatest impact, and the arpeggiated synths of

Happiness Is a Warm Spacestation

and

A Sky Darkly

crackle with energy.

Download:

Alpha People, Komplex, Cosmic Runner