大象传媒

He broke our hearts when he was Kidd Dynamo, he pleased our bones when he drummed for the Desert Hearts and he lit our expectations when he headed off for New York. It's been a year an a half since Colin Campbell went west, and now there's a five track sample of the new regime.

Billed as Radial Nerve and signed to a Californian indie, the music has a more purposeful bent, a few extra BPMs and a wash of burbling electronica. But the art has remained steady, all crinkled edges and introverted shrugs and hidden passions. 'The Restless City' would suggest that he's been trawling the forlorn banks of the Hudson, his collar turned up against the unforgiving chill. It's immense.

'Enemy' is the opening track and it has a vast sound, like some middle American, '70s radio anthem. Think of Kurt Cobain stealing from those old Boston riffs and now give it a Carryduff dimension, man. On 'Dark Stars' the guy is upbeat and high-kicking to happiness. And a return to the old fave 'Like The Cars' highlights the urgency in the song, rather than the morbidity.

In short, the fella's taken a strategic turn, away from the dark end of the street. He's gotten a spike of energy in New York and this document makes you want to whoop and cheer.

Stuart Bailie