It’s fitting that in a week where the Mars One project announced its shortlist of those who have volunteered themselves on a one-way mission to the red planet, that Public Service Broadcasting should release a concept album about the space race. Opening with John F Kennedy’s “We choose to go to the moon” speech, the album continues in the London duo’s theme of putting stories of human endeavour (previous work has tackled climbing Everest and the invention of colour TV) to the tune of madcap meanderings. Veering from krautrock to ambient postrock, Gagarin is a celebratory, if rudimentary, funk jam; Valentina (a tribute to the first woman in space) is given a welcome lustre with additional vocals from folk duo Smoke Fairies. However, it does little to provoke. While rightfully allowing the brilliantly executed collection of archival footage of human voices to flourish, its subtlety makes it more conceptual art piece than experimental rocket ride.
