Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck favours a light touch. Conceived in Mexico, Muchacho – Phosphorescent’s sixth LP – exudes a rich, warm sound. Opener ‘Sun, Arise! (An Invocation, An Introduction)’ quickly ushers in a dreamlike state. The mood is further elevated by the mesmeric ‘Song for Zula’, its beautiful arrangement – washing pad sounds, hypnotic strings, a steady, processed beat and vocals that have the courage of their conviction – a model of restraint.

Lyrically, it’s both inspiring and sobering with Houck proving exceptionally candid as he runs the rule over his lot.
“I’ve been fucked up and I’ve been a fool,” he confesses on the plaintive ‘Muchacho’s Tune’. Never preachy, however, this is glass half full songwriting that deftly avoids saccharine missteps, fuelling a record of tremendous heart. Houck is bruised, but not broken, his tone rarely mournful even when drifting into more sombre territory with the likes of ‘A New Anhedonia’ and ‘The Quotidian Beasts’. Houck plays passenger in the latter, masking his vocals with subtle effects as the music soars above him, building fearlessly, no limit in sight. It’s Muchacho in microcosm; often stretching, always reaching...