The debut album from Yard Act has been much anticipated after a mid-pandemic EP captured the imagination of post-Brexit Britain. While the inevitable spoken-word styled Post-Punk has attracted comparisons to The Fall, there’s more than equal parts Orange Juice and Pulp in the Yard Act sound. More accurately, James Smith’s dry wit and deadpan delivery is often more reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and his ability to walk the line between pastiche, homage, and arresting original insight. Assembled as a short series of vignettes that capture the state of the nation over the last few years, it’s a timely album that feels likely to gain further appreciation with age.