In a time when we’re still being told the album as a format is dead, ‘Palo Santo’ presents the perfect solution. A stunning, complete work, it’s also packed with playlist ready moments ... it’s a one-take greatest hits in waiting.
An album that sees Years & Years revisit the musical, lyrical and aesthetic concerns of their debut and refresh them with unprecedented confidence and self-knowledge.
London-based trio’s nimble new album expands their ambitions in adrenaline-filled songs of heartbreak smothered with self-destruction.
If Years & Years are no longer the homegrown three-piece of Communion, the application of industry formulae and fiddly overproduction actually suits them, making for chart-pop whose emotional analytics are worthy of all the drama of these treatments.
He is offering his fans their own generational pop icon: a young man who has the courage to put all of that vibrant, dynamic character on full display.
Palo Santo has Years & Years neatly avoiding the pitfalls other artists have gone down on their second albums. They’ve neither lost their identity by reinventing their sound, l nor repeated the formula with inferior results.
Years & Years' superb sophomore album, 2018's Palo Santo, is a dynamically realized production, rife with religious imagery and themes of sex, love, and devotion, all pulsing with a bright sense of dance club absolution.
It is a pleasure ... to say that Palo Santo is smarter, bolder, and catchier than its predecessor and better in almost every way.
The sci-fi allusions don’t detract from the very human emotional thrust of these magnetic electro-pop tunes.
Palo Santo is a promising sophomore album because it evolves past the sound of the band’s debut. But at its low points, the record lacks the bite to drive home the razor’s-edge duality of sacred and profane that Alexander seems to thrive on.
Palo Santo is more than a match for its predecessor and sees Years & Years develop their sound, but never too much to put off teen fans of their fluffiest, frothiest moments.
There's a thin line between fun and corny. Some tracks lean a little too far towards the latter, wandering into the territory of triteness.
The British press is out of their minds on this one. Communion was a much stronger album, and there is nothing on Palo Santo that comes close to matching the highs of "King," "Desire," "Eyes Shut," "Shine," or "Real". The 'dark' songs like "Sanctify" sound like Justin Timberlake doing the PG-13 version of Nine Inch Nails, the 'light' ones like "If You're Over Me" arrive two years late for the trop-pop pool party that took ... read more
Almost this whole album sounds painfully average. Despite the amazing production (the beats are amazing!!!) there are no new ideas and everything just sounds kinda generic. The vocalist is relaly annoying at some points. Would play it in a party tho. It would be a decent 6 in a real good day.
Favorite Tracks: Sanctify, Hallelujah, Up In Flames
Least Favorite Tracks: Rendezvous, Here
You know, as far as mainstream dance-pop goes, this ain't all that bad. It's got some groovy tracks and pretty passionate vocal work. Much better than CHVRCHES new record, but a little less cerebral than the new Lets Eat Grandma. A good middle ground if you're looking to get your dance tunes in.
FAVOURITE TRACKS: SANCTIFY, HALLELUJAH, RENDEZVOUS, LUCKY ESCAPE, PALO SANTO
LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: IF YOU'RE OVER ME
1. Sanctify: 80
2. Hallelujah: 60
3. All For You: 80
4. Karma: 80
5. Hypnotised: 80
6. Rendezvous: 50
7. If You’re Over Me: 80
8. Preacher: 60
9. Lucky Escape: 70
10. Palo Santo: 80
11. Here: 70
12. Play: 80
13. Valentino: 70
14. Howl: 50
15. Don’t Panic: 80
16. Up In Flames: 60
1 | Sanctify 3:12 | 87 |
2 | Hallelujah 3:39 | 81 |
3 | All For You 3:39 | 89 |
4 | Karma 3:13 | 79 |
5 | Hypnotised 4:03 | 85 |
6 | Rendezvous 3:04 | 74 |
7 | If You're Over Me 3:09 | 79 |
8 | Preacher 3:26 | 77 |
9 | Lucky Escape 3:46 | 85 |
10 | Palo Santo 4:02 | 85 |
11 | Here 1:39 | 82 |
#23 | / | The Independent |
#33 | / | NME |
#34 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
#41 | / | No Ripcord |