Boy & Bear

Suck On Light

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Embattled Aussies make a beautiful comeback with album number four.

If the phrase ‘indie folk rock’ strikes the fear of God into you, don’t panic. While that’s the tag Boy & Bear have apparently been saddled with, there isn’t the slightest whiff of Mumford & Sons tainting Suck On Light, the fourth album from the Aussie quintet. Think instead of the warm and enveloping melodicism that once – pre-unpleasant allegations – made Ryan Adams so special.

The album marks a return (after a four-year break forced by frontman David Hosking battling illness), and, as the nights draw in, reveals itself delicately as an ideal soundtrack to the autumnal months, thanks in no small part to Hosking’s beautiful, drily emotional vocals, instantly as comforting as a favourite blanket and as honestly engaging as an old friend.

Raw edges are non-existent, but these 12 echoey, unfussy, beautifully produced tracks have been allowed to breathe and take on a spark life that will appeal instantly to fans of bands like The National. ■■■■■■■■■■