8/10

When Years & Years released their brilliant debut album 'Communion' back in 2015, there was no doubt that this three-piece would become the next big name in pop. With stunning radio-friendly singles running throughout, the band firmly set themselves up to take over the world. But with three years away, frontman Olly Alexander has now become the figurehead of the group as they look to produce less throwaway anthems and more of the substantial, longer-laster pop records that we always knew they were capable of.

While 'Palo Santo' has far less of those standout hits, it manages to do what all good albums have, which is creating a solid flow of catchy hooks that work wonderfully well when played together. This new record manages to reinvigorate the traditional Years & Years sound and push it into new avenues that we haven't heard from them before. Rather than relying on the simple production methods that worked on their debut, this new material seems more well developed and shows that they have truly come into their own since their first full-length.

It's definitely more of a grower than 'Communion' that's for sure. But if you've been listening to the singles and haven't quite got into the new material yet, this album will give you a wonderful experience as it plays and reassure you that Years & Years are far from faltering at this stage.