Album Review: Cloud Control - Dream Cave

Like it's flowing over the peak of a mountain and down towards open horizons, the second record from Blue Mountains-bred, London-based four-piece Cloud Control comes with a decided rise and fall. For the album's first four tracks you're climbing. As the guitars become more prominent, the choruses more pointed, you start feeling dizzy. But not in a bad way. It's like you're running out of oxygen, floating blissfully towards the sky.

As the sunshine pop of Moonrabbit shifts to the dark gloom rock of Island Living – the thick bass currents omnipresent – you travel cautiously through the clouds. What greets you once you finally emerge at the top is a joyous, blinding peak. It's breathtaking. In The Smoke, The Feeling that bass remains, but it's offset by the divine vocals of Heidi Lenffer, who makes this and Happy Birthday her own in the way that Stevie Nicks does across Fleetwood Mac's most memorable moments. Then as quickly as you've become accustomed to such beauty it all starts to taper off. Slowly at first with Ice Age Heatwave, before frontman Alister Wright really draws you forward with his swimming guitar and voice on Tombstone until you've made it to the other side, with closure upon you.

At the album's extremities, Scream Rave and Dream Cave might seem languid, however, once you've got familiar with the songs tucked between the top and tail it's clear that Cloud Control have crafted this LP with the ideals of a traditional 'full-length' in mind. And it's a gorgeous journey the quartet take you on, one that could only come from a band bettered by their recent experiences.