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(. It's on their ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sound Of 2010 profile page. They might even WIN!)

So here's Delphic. They're from Manchester, they're not afraid of a bit of the modern technology, like samplers and synthesizers and dance music and stuff, and they've got guitars too. This makes them officially the embodiment of everything I was just talking about (although there really should be a point at which we all agree that samplers and synths have been around for over 40 years now, in one form or another, so to suggest that they're in any way groundbreaking is just plain wrong).

What they're very good at is taking all of this electrical stuff and making it sound pillow-soft and comfortable, without ever losing the caged lightning at its core. So while 'Doubt' wafts about in a fragrant fashion, like a perfumed cloud, it's a perfumed cloud that has substance enough to give you a black eye if you were to run into it at speed.

As a song, it's almost all chorus, but it's a good chorus. The verses are really only there to add booming atmospherics and ticking machinery to proceedings, and to maybe aurally conjecture as to what Bloc Party were to sound like if Kele toned the yelping down a bit.

Also, I'll admit to being slightly disappointed when the song fails to elaborate on the "ah-ee-ay-ah-ee-ee-ay-oh" sampled voice loop introduction, beyond bringing it back from time to time. Not because there's anything wrong with using an arresting idea sparingly, it's more that for a tantalising moment, I thought I was listening to Sebastien Tellier's softypop Eurovision masterpiece 'Divine'.

*waves threatening fist at Alexander Rybak*

Download: Out now
CD Released: January 4th

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)