ALBUM REVIEW: The Barnum Meserve - Designs

Nottingham genre-bending band The Barnum Meserve are back with their anticipated new album 'Designs'. The record follows the bands previous album offering 'When All Is Lost' from 2017. It's been a whole 5 years since the public were treating to album from this emerging 3-peice and boy have things changed.

The Barnum Meserve are a band who rarely stick to one lane. While their sound is distinctive, they never settle for one style or genre, instead they take inspiration from a myriad of sounds which culminates in an incredibly diverse palette of music. ‘Designs’ is a record that journeys through indie, electronica, post rock, lo-fi and even hints of cinematic orchestras in there, delivering an exceptional full-length effort.

Straight from the off, album title track 'Designs' shows us that we are in for a treat. It's clear that the band have changed things up here. The band are now experimenting with old-world instruments and new technologies such as synths, drum machines and arpeggiators. Trust me when I say, the experiment has worked!

Stand out tracks for me are definitely the two lead singles that I heard on the run up to the album. Both 'Gaslight' and 'Roleplay' really set the tone for this brilliant piece of work! Expansive collages of sound, clinical technologies and alluring vocals are full on display throughout the record, which I am now fully immersed in.

A really solid step forward here, It's a piece of art. 9/10

Album available now on all platforms.

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