Valhalla Dancehall

iTunes Review

British Sea Power cleverly mix between anthems and elusive tunes of magnified importance. “Who’s In Control” stands in as the album’s most precise moment, heaven sent for waving flags and raising fists, much like the group’s tune “Waving Flags” from 2008’s Do You Like Rock Music?. What exactly “We Are Sound” is declaring as its point of entry is questionable, but it sure sounds stunning. The charred, dreamlike flotation of “Georgie Ray,” the space-travel of “Mongk II” and the shimmering hail of sound that befalls “Cleaning Out the Rooms” make for an audiophile workout. “Luna” hollers like a soccer-stadium crowd dispersing into the night air to reacquaint themselves with intimacy. “Living Is So Easy” straightens out in a quest for better pop. The Brighton, England team is capable of so much diversity it’s jarring. “Thin Black Sail” takes a rockabilly-garage rock romp and electrifies it for the new century. “Once More Now” resembles their work on soundtrack music, while “Heavy Water” kicks it back to basics.