Dead Hand Control

Packed full of bright ideas and moreish hooks, ‘Dead Hand Control’ is a hopeful document about finding peace in your relationships and immediate surroundings, even when the world is on fire.

Baio’s third and latest doesn’t drastically divert from type as such but presents his songwriting at its most concrete in pace, malleability and variety.

Ultimately, ‘Dead Hand Control’ is an indulgent listen, tackling worrisome topics while remaining hopeful and romantic.

Unlike his previous albums, the play times on Dead Hand Control vary widely, with tracks sometimes transitioning into one another. It ultimately has the effect of a night out at the club or, more precisely, a series of 12" extended dance mixes à la the 1980s that are cued up among radio cuts.

Synthetic art-rock with swooping choruses, it explores themes of death and nuclear war, while defaulting to a sunny guilelessness.

The follow-up to 2016's Man Of The World comes with the smart lightness of touch that's the Vampire Weekend birthright.

It’s just in the execution where he falls short, leaving little to the imagination of the listeners on an album that strikes a rather predictable tone.