With as much contained diversity as he can muster (which is a lot), Dubliner and Swedish resident Richie Egan delivers the goods yet again with his fifth Jape album. It's safe to say that Egan's extracurricular creative activities (as well as a family bereavement during the writing and recording) have informed This Chemical Sea: it's his most cohesive, personal and mellow album to date. Here, texture is all, and it's no surprise to discover that all of the tracks, while melodically simplistic in nature, are layered without coming across in any way dense or laboured. Infectious earworms such as Seance of Light, Without Life in the Way, Absolutely Animals, Ribbon Ribbon Ribbon, The Heart's Desire, and I Go bouy each other up in bravura displays of musical mischief-making. As vivid and vital an electro-pop record as you'll surely hear this year.

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