7/10

After the release of his widely-praised debut album 'Un Jour' in 2018, Canadian frontman Levi Soulodre aka The Pxrtals became more retrospective than most when it came to releasing a follow-up record. While his first effort saw him channel his personal heroes such as Morrissey and Roy Orbison, the idea of following on from his initial collection didn't feel like much of a challenge, so instead he looked to create a prequel of sorts. So rather than continuing the bold and lofty ideals of 'Un Jour', his second studio release 'One Night' looks to give us more context to his eclectic sound.

The most obvious comparison we can make between these two records is just how much more psychedelic this new one feels. While the debut LP dabbled in its fair share of psych-rock tendencies in places, his second full-length is a rich and atmospheric return that takes the most organic parts of the sound and pushes them as far as it will go. The result feels like a far more cohesive collection than we were expecting, given how diverse his original material was, and creates this bright and progressive direction that shows a more hardened and dynamic side to his direction.

Tracks like 'Extasie' and the opener 'Coolin' Sun' may remain the standout offerings on this new LP, but the record sounds so much more gelled together than the first. It feels like he has found his footing in his formative style and is now far more comfortable within it. A strong and expressive return that always hints that more is waiting around the corner.