Empire of the Sun: Ice on the Dune – review

The unlikely pairing of Luke Steele (of sublime psychedelicists the Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (one half of Elton John's dance proteges, Pnau) was responsible for one of the freshest-sounding albums of 2008. The follow-up takes that record's template – naggingly catchy pop given a euphoric dance twist – and marries it to an even stronger set of songs. Alive and Concert Pitch are deliriously upbeat confections, but a whole album in that vein could be capable of inducing dental caries at 50 paces. Thankfully, the second half finds them in more restrained – but no less winning – mood, Disarm and Celebrate being examples of EDM at its warmest-sounding.