A rapid sequel to last year’s Happy Ending, this is the first of two seasonal albums from producer Sean Dickson and singer David McAlmont. Twilight is promised for the first day of winter, which means that – appropriately for this year’s sluggish summer – Daylight may be a little late, but is no less welcome for that. The thematic rigour inspires a more coherent collection than their last, bolstered by beats ideal for those 6 Music dads who’ve always left a piece of their heart in the club.
The opening title track has a nostalgic 90s house vibe, with a Nigerian gospel choir exhorting “embrace daylight, sunshine, dance”. After that it’s 11 solid pop dance tracks that make light work of spotlighting McAlmont’s ever-celestial voice. Sometimes Dickson’s production might seem a little wan, but he cleverly injects elements of new wave, melodic trance and 80s groove into these sun-dappled songs. Spritely, piano-stabbing Coalition is wide-eyed fun, as are Sun Come Up, Sad Banger and You Are My. When McAlmont declares on sole slowie Living Things “we are not inconsequential”, it feels like a perfect summary of this project.
