Album Review: Lanks - twentyseven

Lanks makes friendly music; songs that are at once accessible and twee.

But happily - and crucially - this friendly music is not insubstantial. This is the record you can play for your grandma without feeling like you've sold your musical reputation down the river.

For some, twentyseven will be little more than a well-crafted envelope for delivering My Own Mystery, a stunning, euphoric banger propelled by guest Ngaiire's compelling performance. The track has enough familiarity to deliver a pleasing hit of nostalgia. A searing, soaring complete work, it also has enough that's new, and surprising, to carry on through scores of listens.

But treating this release as a one-song wonder would be a mistake. Circles is punctuated with dynamism and drive; little horn mini-stabs showing Lanks' command of rhythm. Bitter Leaf is a further example of how rhythm can trump melody in contemporary pop. Horoscopes brings the point home with clip-clop melodic jumps. Holla is a triumph of ecstatic chipmunk sampling.

For better or worse, this record may become known as a showcase for its brightest star. Try not to make that mistake yourself, though. Yes: My Own Mystery wins the day, but its siblings are not without their charms.