From a name change celebration in a quaint Glaswegian party warehouse, to a celebratory performance in a massive Glaswegian arena for the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, P R / D E S have come a long way from the early days of Midnight Lion. Their debut album marks the band’s success so far in infectious style, completing their ascent on the way back up from somewhere unknown to synth-pop stardom.

The trio’s blend of impassioned euphoria is transmitted through a combination of tracks which meander between the soaring and the solemn. From the pop sensibilities of ‘I Should Know You Better’ to the endearing allure of closer ‘The Kite String And The Anchor Rope’ the band impart their musical vision of a dance-filled future in respectable style.

The single duo of ‘Messiah’ and ‘Higher Love’ at the record’s outset gets the ball rolling, the foot tapping, and the hips twerking, brimming with the synth-pop energy the band are renowned for, delivered in particularly potent choruses. Whilst ‘Let It Go’ is unfortunately not a cover of the Disney smash-hit, it is a charming number based on reflection and measured guitar melodies.

’Same Mistakes’ provided a brief moment for breath amidst the sweaty dancefloor of tracks it finds itself surrounded by, including the excellent and angular ‘Just Say It’ that falls somewhere between The 1975 and CHVRCHES with excellent results. Initial, break-out single ‘Out Of The Blue’ makes a welcome appearance in the album’s latter stages to remind you why you first thought this band were destined with greatness as the percussion resonates and the synths weave sonic tapestries.

Title track, and penultimate number, ‘The Way Back Up’ is a bundle of optimism that creates a sincere smile in time for it to be smeared by the downbeat closer, but remains one of the record’s strongest tracks regardless, a top notch pop masterpiece. Comparatively lengthy, and intrinsically sad, ‘The Kite String And The Anchor Rope’ provides the appropriate anchorage to reality after an album of varying degrees of danceability, as it relays an endearing tale of affection.

Whilst lacking in a considerable amount of originality, Prides have created a commendable debut album in The Way Back Up, one which adequately portraying their achievements and ambitions as a three-piece Glaswegian synth-pop outfit. With an obvious grasp of emotion and melody, it will be interesting to see where they go from here.

The Way Back Up is available from Amazon and iTunes.

Florence + The Machine are finally back after a four year break from back-to-back recording and touring, with a new album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, which is packed with powerful vocals, catchy beats and lyrics everyone will be belting come festival season.

This album is based around their whirlwind experience of success and fame, taking a break from it all and being yourself, something they have had time to reflect on during the past four years after being catapulted into fame in 2008 by first single ‘Kiss With A Fist’. This message is most noticeable in the title track ‘How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful’, a heartfelt track containing lyrics such as: “between a crucifix and the Hollywood sign, we decided to get hurt” and “we opened our eyes and it’s changing the view”.

The opening track ‘Ship To Wreck’ sums up the album (and the message) well, with hard-hitting honest lyrics like “Did I drink too much? / Am I losing touch? / Did I build a ship to wreck?” It’s got the powerful vocals and happy beat you expect but with a sense of something new. It is classic Florence + The Machine, without being “same old Florence + The Machine”, which is something many artists with such a strong, unique sound struggle with.

As well as the massive summer hits expected from them, this album is balanced out with slower, heartfelt, meaningful tracks such as: ‘Various Storms & Saints’ and ‘Long & Lost’. With such a unique and distinctive voice, the album flows seamlessly and can go from summer hit to slow meaningful track without a bump or losing interest, and occasionally even in the same track. 

The album has been described as “live-sounding, tune-rich, unhinged in all the right places and powerful in all the best ways” and there is truly no better way to sum up such an incredible artist that has had people waiting for years, but is sure not to disappoint.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful is available from Amazon and iTunes.