Stream 'Desire Lines', the new album from Camera Obscura

The return of Camera Obscura is always an occasion marked with a sweet sense of joy. Tugging at the heartstrings as only they know how, the Glaswegian five-piece follow on from 2009′s My Maudlin Career with perhaps their most focused and confident album to date.

Recorded in Portland, Or with Tucker Martine (R.E.M, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens) and featuring guest turns from Jim James and Neko Case, Desire Lines is filled to the brim with sweetness, grace and lightness of touch.

Like any Camera Obscura release, the group harness their ability to be able to tug at the heartstrings with a simple chord change or honey toned harmony. Everything in their world is (bitter)sweet: life in general can be a drag but it doesn’t mean you can’t dance away your problems. Just listen to album opener ‘This Is Love’ for proof. The song’s mid-paced shuffle tingles with a wry optimism that’s shot through with Tracyanne Campbell’s unmistakable vocal – an ever present sense of glumness resonates, but you can’t help but raise a grin.

Laugh, cry or dance (perhaps all three at once) – Desire Lines is a welcome return to one of the UK’s finest indiepop groups. Stream the album in full below and then head to the 4AD store to order a copy in time for its official release on 3 June.