Irish songwriter David Turpin returns after four years living on the fringes: teaching cinema studies; writing a doctoral thesis (on animal transformations in mid-century American poetry!), composing music for theatre; and suffering from hypothermia, which caused his heart to stop for half a minute (hence the band moniker). Turpin's previous records displayed more arid intellect than instinct, but on We Belong Dead he allows real feeling to filter through. Somewhat wryly/archly pitched as a "contemporary gothic micro-odyssey that twins themes of love and romance with imaginary folk narratives of human extinction and the return of the animal", We Belong Dead is crammed full of classy ambient/electro standalone pop songs that drift wonderfully from start to finish. Touchstones veer towards the more melancholy strands of Pet Shop Boys, and that's fine by us – welcome back from the dead, Mr Turpin. thelatedavidturpin.com
Download: A Warning to the Curious, Fur, Garland, The Anaesthetist