Amateur Best - The Gleaners (2015)

Despite another cameo from Chilly Gonzales, Flory’s project maintains a solo effort, picking up on the important moments in the three years since his debut No Thrills and turning them into both catchy and reflective dance bangers.

The first sweet offering from the album - “Marzipan”, back in August - was one of its strongest, with its upbeat rhythm and tight synth hits. Its rather considered lyrics in the verses - "You shouldn’t worry about your figure, you should worry about your soul" - contrast with the simplicity of the chorus, which repeats its namesake in Flory’s endearingly gloomy voice.

But The Gleaners isn’t all bounce; it opens calmly with “Rely”, a lounge-tinted piece which sounds like it would alleviate even the worst of horrific comedowns as Flory’s comforting words - "You can rely on me" - bathe in the sparse strings of the Kaiser Quartet.

Indeed, the pace of the album is quite confused at times, and while this is no doubt due to Flory’s dynamic sound, it does mean that its flow isn’t as liquid as it could be. Both the production and the songwriting is top tier though; the sound sits somewhere between Wild Beasts and Hot Chip, immediately catchy but reflective and intelligent.

“They Know”, captures this balance perfectly, a gloriously catchy dance track that breaks ominously into moments of reflective apathy (“It’s like they know what’s coming next / It’s like there’s no point running”).

Another highlight is album closer “No Sleep”, one of its most interesting turns. Its rich, chillwave sound harks back to No Thrills, and soundtracks the battle between serenity and stimulus in the mind of an insomniac, albeit in a far more sultry and thoroughly enjoyable manner.

From beginning to end The Gleaners is a wholly comforting experience. When the melancholy in Flory’s voice meets production this rich and uplifting, its effect is incredibly cathartic.