Lush beds of guitar and circular melodies hypnotise as slippery rhythms push and pull soothingly. Mike Kinsella’s shivering croon is also counterpointed by several guest vocalists. Hayley Williams of Paramore offers consoling warmth to Mike’s confession, ‘I blamed my father in my youth / Now as a father I blame the booze’ on Uncomfortably Numb. Elsewhere, the sylph-like vocals of Rachel Goswell make explicit the shoegazey influence of her band Slowdive. American Football have matured, but what remains unchanged is their ability to gently tug the heartstrings.
Verdict: KKKK