Former frontman of The Czars, John Grant goes solo - while teaming up with Midlake - to make an album of heartbreaking, soft-focus beauty.
That's a sentence I never thought I'd write, given my dislike for both The Czars, and Midlake, officially the most boring band in the history of rock music. Coldplay, you are off the hook (not in the cool way)...for now.
Queen of Denmark appears to have been born out of frustration, drugs, drink, a broken heart and a difficult childhood - but there's hope in there too. The lyrics are incredibly open and honest, and the music accompanying is simply beautiful.
There's plenty of 1970s touchstones - I can hear The Carpenters, Bread, Elton John, Jacksone Browne and Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue - but the album manages to stay clear of soft-rock cheese.
If you only buy one heartbreak album this year, make it this one. If you only download one heartbreak song, make it It's Easier - all woozy synths and glorious harmonies.
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