No-one quite operates in the realm of the visionary Everything Everything. Setting dystopian ‘Black Mirror’-style concepts to songs which thrillingly find the sweet spot between esoteric experimentation and art-pop accessibility, the band have earned critical acclaim and a devoted following in equal measure, leading to five Ivor Novello and two Mercury Prize nominations, a run of six consecutive Top 10 albums, and major headline shows including London’s Alexandra Palace.

Everything Everything have always explored grand concepts in their albums, as demonstrated by 2022’s ahead-of-the-curve ‘Raw Data Feel’ (which fed everything from 4Chan forum posts to the teachings of Confucius into an AI program, and used its responses as a basis for its lyrics and titles).

That continues with the release of their new album ‘Mountainhead’. It imagines an alternate society in which those at the lowest rung of society’s ladder are forced to work relentlessly to keep its elite, at the mountain’s peak, elevated. While it’s an idea that looks to a nightmarish future, it’s full of engaging metaphors for our current existence, from capitalism and environmentalism to religion and celebrity worship. The music is just as engaging, their art-pop heart coloured by an array of off-kilter production touches and a new-found alt-pop accessibility.