ROOSEVELT Vinyl & CDs

Review: On his first album since signing with Ninja Tune offshoot Counter Records (his fourth in total), Roosevelt has tweaked both his working methods and the specifics of his songs and music. Embrace was recorded "on the road", with the Cologne-raised artist setting up his portable studio in a variety of cities, while the music itself combines a greater reliance on "80s disco basslines" (Gwen Guthrie's work with Sly and Robbie being an obvious touch point) and surprisingly honest lyrics that detail his feelings of alienation. In truth, it's not a huge departure - his glossy, wide-eyed take on electronic pop has always included nods to electrofunk, vintage synth-pop, nu-disco and contemporary dance-pop - but given the alluring nature of his sound, that's no bad thing.