We Have Band - Ternion

Opener 'shift' starts the album off with shimmering, hypnotic synths and dreamy vocals, offset by insistent drums. After a few minutes of this, the song degenerates into a cacophony of bleeps and symbols, which is so textured it is almost difficult to listen to. This seems to set the tone for the whole album.

The vocals on 'After All' are reminiscent of Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, with the dryly delivered lyric 'After all/ This is heaven/ But being biblical/ Is so dramatic', and the song as a whole seems to sounds like a less sparse Hot Chip. However, the greater amount of layers is not proportional to a better quality of song, and the buzzing bass synth starts to grate towards the end of the song.

The most infectious and memorable song on the album, and definitely a highlight, is 'Where Are Your People?'. The song is full of pop hooks and a chorus that will stay in the brain for a long while. 'Where Are Your People?' seems to have less of the subtle (but slightly irritating) sound effects that some of the later songs on the album do, and stands out in an album full of tracks that seem to roll together into one long song of bleeps and synths.

There are some other genuinely gorgeous bits though, such as the harmonies in 'Visionary', which contrast with the glittering wind-chime esque noises, and the fading vocals at the start of 'What's Mine, What's Yours'. 'Pressure On', the last track on the album, is also beautiful, but again there are some layers of sound that are not needed; they do not add anything and in fact seems to take away some of its beauty, had it been more sparse and stripped back. Still, a perfect chilled track,  perfect for a sunny Sunday Morning playlist
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This album is one suited for dance floors at indie discos or 3am at a particularly cool party, or even, due to its very hypnotic nature and blended tracks, as background for working. Maybe it's a grower.

6/10
By Holly Read-Challen 

We Have Band - Visionary

It can be annoying sometimes, when a band has a truly awful name to muster up enough willpower to actually warrant them a listen. Having a stupid band name often puts extra pressure on a band as you already have a preconceived notion that they will suck, and most of the time they do suck (French Horn Rebellion, Beady Eye & Razorlight to name a few)

Fortunately We Have Band conquered their name in style with their 2009 debut WHB, a diverse record with sparkling electro-pop mixed with many an indie dancefloor favourite. 'Visionary' then is the first track to be released from their 2012 bound difficult second album. The song is a slight departure from the WHB of 2 years past, but shows signs of maturity and flourishing into a more progressed band. It doesn't quite hold the same fun factor as signature hit 'Divisive' but instead goes down a more grandiose route, with big synths and a pulsing Joy Division bassline.

It's a more polished effort and the siren style synths keep the listener's attention throughout. The only thing the track really lacks is a great big stomping chorus, but it's certainly enough to leave fans wanting more from this under-rated yet very promising band.

By Toby McCarron