Initial Thoughts: Delphic – Acolyte

words: Gareth O’Malley

Seeing a band crushed under the weight of their own hype… There are few things more depressing to the music fan. For instance, Glasvegas had a good thing going for them – granted, their debut was far from the masterpiece many thought it to be – but it now seems they have faded, and need a masterstroke to save them from condemnation in the wake of what may well be their clichéd ‘difficult second album’.

Then there are those that keep their head above water and keep the flood-tides of praise from pushing them under. Notable examples from this year include Animal Collective and La Roux – both producing two entirely different but equally wonderful records.

The first example of such a band casting off the shackles of hype in 2010 is undoubtedly Delphic. When going into ‘Acolyte’ for the first time, do yourself a favour and leave your preconceptions of the band’s sound at the door.

This is by far a more atmospheric – and even euphoric – album than its singles suggested. Its title track is a wonderful nine-minute trip, swept along by strings and soft vocals. Surefire single ‘Halcyon’ has the best chorus they’ve written to date, and the raw power of ‘Clarion Call’ makes for a perfect opening.

‘Acolyte’ does not fall into the trap that most debuts do. That is, it does not seem to stick to one idea throughout its course. More than half of the album’s tracks are what I would consider growers. Things are in the process of clicking as I type this, and herein is where the record’s real strength lies. An absolute cracker – and that’s after only three listens.

Initial Thoughts rating: 8.8

Watch: Halcyon (Later… With Jools Holland performance)

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