Home Video
No Certain Night Or Morning
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Home Video are a hard band to pin down exactly. Collin Ruffino and David Gross make electronic music that is icy, thundering, exhilarating, minimalist and hypnotic, amongst other things. In fact, given the band's ability to switch moods with such ease, it's surprising that their debut, 'No Certain Night or Morning', is as cohesive as it is. There's an admirable amount of restraint in their work too; songs never outstay their welcome, though the "secret" track at the end of the album is a throwback to a more annoying time and does throw the overall pacing of the album off a little on repeat listens.

Still, the rest of what's on offer is more than enough. The vocals of single Sleep Sweet glide over chiming guitar and sparkling keyboard, along with a spectacular bass sound that proves the backbone for the entire album; it drifts in and out of tracks like Superluminal and churns throughout others like the slinky Gas Tank. Elsewhere on the album, Pidpunk is synth led and absolutely mesmerising with its insistent multi-tracked vocals which shows the group's ability to bring a song to an powerful climax, while Confession of a Time Traveler is forceful and driven, before exploding in its chorus.

The results are still spectacular as the album winds down - We is beautifully wistful and ethereal, as is closer Melon. As a whole, 'No Certain Night or Morning' is a pretty amazing effort and feels accomplished in its overall vision - it's electrifyingly modern, above anything else. Whether this means it will date quickly remains to be seen but for now it stands as a consistently fascinating debut from a band filled with promise.

Alistair Wallis