This, the lengthy, low key sixth from the bards of Bury, finds Guy Garvey and his cohorts retreating further from the occasional anthemic tendencies evident on The Seldom Seen Kid and Build A Rocket Boys. This time round the mood is set from the start on 'This Blue World', a slow-burning opener which, much like its companion songs here, harks back to Elbow’s earlier work. The odd chord changes and difficult time signatures are back too, on tracks like 'Fly Boy Blue/Lunette' and 'Honey Sun'. That isn’t to say there’s anything un-enjoyable here; on the contrary, it’s an album that rewards repeat listens, slowly assembling itself into a coherent hour of quiet grandeur. 'My Sad Captains' appears to be a tearful sequel to 'Lippy Kids', just the sort of wounded romance at which Garvey - in fine voice throughout - excels. Things get louder towards the end with the Krautrock-influenced 'Colour Fields' and the soaring title track. Also present is the Elbow take on Peter Gabriel’s 'Mercy Street', which acknowledges the band’s debt to his influence while remembering to avoid murdering the song. Long-term fans will love it this album, whilst more recent converts might be advised to give it time to unfurl its considerable charms. More power to them.