Since the collapse of Slowdive, in the mid 90’s singer Neil Halstead hasn’t looked back. Forming Mojave three with his wife and also former band member Rachel Goswell, they traded in shogazey indie for alternative country folk. It was some leap but finally gave Halstead the critical praise he had always deserved.
    
Puzzles like you, is Mojave 3’s fourth and most commercially accessible album to date. Twelve straight forward but brilliant pop songs. The country roots are still bubbling under but they by no means dominate proceedings as previous releases have. Halstead’s lazy Dylan-esque vocals are wrapped in lush melody from the outset.

Album opener ‘Truck Driving Man’ is a 3 minute honky tonk  pop gem and sets the pace, just one of many highlights. The Doors, light my fire keyboards of ‘Kill The Lights’ and the stomping indie anthem, ‘You Said it before’, all prove that Mojave 3 are most definitely in their prime.

9/10

James Heward