Preparing to follow up a widely adored debut album demands a lot of careful planning, and ‘folktronica’ artist James Yuill has armed himself with as many instruments and 80s beats as possible. After briefly returning to the scene with EP Earth & Fire, essentially a remix of debut album Turning Down Water For Air, Yuill has unleashed completely new material at last, thrilling news for those who desire to dance and wallow at the same time.

Although unmistakably a James Yuill effort, Movement In A Storm witnesses a vast shift in style. It could be the increasingly despondent vocals that give the record a vulnerable edge, or the less aggressive, downbeat tempo. While Turning Down Water For Air often allowed the main hook to determine the atmosphere, the opposite seems to be true for this release, the woebegone tinged lyrics infiltrating the album with a wholly pensive aura.

As expected from an artist who cites conflicting artists such as Aphex Twin and Sufjan Stevens as influences, sometimes the album seems a tad more confused than groundbreaking. The effect is reminiscent of the Real People part of Beirut’s double EP release, March of the Zapotetc/Holland. Beirut’s brief descent into electronica tended to evoke initial praise, but the brash collision of two completely different types of music never seemed to quite fit. Movement In A Storm varies from vulnerable acoustics to pounding House, and all the while Yuill’s haunting drawl insists that you to remain as melancholy as possible.

Songs wherein the electronic beats are kept to a minimum, such as the somber ‘Foreign Shore’, show that Yuill’s well ranged vocals can function perfectly well without a cluster of programming and synth loops. ‘Wild Goose At Night’ proves the impressive level to which Yuill’s endeavours can reach, not dissimilar to Panda Bear or ‘I Am A Proud And Proud’, the track goes further than simply matching folk vocals with electronic beats, experimenting with alternate ways to infuse both styles. That’s not to say some tracks do not work remarkably well with the signature James Yuill style, debut single ‘On Your Own’ and opening track ‘Give You Away’ are catchy and carefully produced, and just fast paced enough to get you optimistically waving your hands in the air (or whatever it is people do when they like a song).

Certainly an album people will be listening to on the beach throughout the hazy summer days, especially as the album tends to mellow out as it goes on, perfect for those intoxicated by the heat (or a more home-grown sedative). On one part the jumble of styles demonstrates Yuill’s undeniable talent, he has after all produced all of this as a one man band. However it is an album of promise, some tracks more hopeful than others, and some not quite reaching the high sights set by his debut release.