The British Expeditionary Force – Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu

It must be difficult leaving a band renowned for being a bit different and brilliant at the same time. When Yourcodenameis:Milo announced their hiatus I was shocked and a little upset I must admit, but I was even more so upon hearing vocalist Pull Mullen would be joining The Automatic (I mean, what?!). Luckily for me (and other Milo fans), Justin Lockey went down an all together different route, creating electronica band The British Expeditionary Force and releasing a fantastic debut album in Chapter One: A Long Way From Home via one of my favourite labels right now, Erased Tapes Records.

Its follow up Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu comes a long five years after, and there is always the risk with such a long gap between albums that perhaps the ship has sailed, their musical style is no longer relevant, or more likely: their fans have just forgotten about them and moved on to adore other bands. If that is the case, then it is a damn shame because it’s clear from this album that Lockey (plus his brother and singer Aid Burrows) still have a lot to offer. While opening track ‘Commotion’ is a low key effects laden affair that tips its hat to perhaps Bon Iver, the following track ‘When All Of This Is Done’ has a rip roaring chorus that packs a sort of post-rock punch that instrumental bands take four minutes to find (while here it only takes just over a minute to find it) and I dare not forget the final track, 'Irons In Fires', an epic slow building six minute see out to the album that you can imagine Sigur Rós writing were they more into electronic (than organic) music.

Sadly, if this album is anything to go by, we’ll never get a Yourcodenameis:Milo re-union. Scandinavia may have Múm, Efterklang, Sigur Rós and many others but with Chapter Two: Konstellation Neu it looks like finally, this side of the pond, we have something as good, if not better, to offer in return.

4.5 / 5

www.myspace.com/thebritishexpeditionaryforce