Private World bring new wave into the modern age with discernible care and attention

Formed in 2017 following the pair’s role helming post-punk project Pipedream, Private World have afforded sporadic insight into their method and approach via a series of singles as well as a three-track EP; striking snapshots of the two-piece tethering lavish synth atmospherics with sonorous percussive elements - seeking solace in immersive, well-honed ambient space. With their full-length debut release as signees to Dais, the outfit further showcase dedicated vision and technical acumen, recasting familiar sonic nods through alternative angles, alongside the production expertise of Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard’s Tom Rees.

Deriving its title from the Hebrew letter denoting divine oneness, Aleph renders an equally unified concept in its mode of delivery, seamless electronic surfaces and eruptive sax bolstering its lustrous architecture; an innate dialogue emanating from the album’s very outset – at once graceful, soul-searching and feel-good. The two-piece embed this attuned harmony within the recording process while Sanders’ immaculately suave vocals form a critical function in anchoring this sense of intuitive interplay; steering through a shroud of effervescent synth bliss and glistening guitar hooks, a formula informed by a contemplative, relatively understated strand of '80s fare.

Sanders and Jowett, in this respect, wear their influences on the sleeve without lapsing into mere mimicry, adhering to a clear sense of individual character while evoking the spirit of an era with acute authenticity. The new romantic aesthetic of Spandau Ballet proves a recognisable trait in this regard, while other instances owe more to Roxy Music’s polished later years; flashes of Flesh + Blood, Avalon and Bryan Ferry’s solo zenith Boys and Girls piercing through the twilight territory of “Hypnagogia” and “Jones to Engel (Pierrot)”. The latter a paean to the mutual respect shared between the late great titans David Bowie and Scott Walker: “He was always on my side / An icon to idolise / Enigma to everyone / On the midnight train to Tucson / The Walker keeps moving on”.

In inventively acknowledging their musical antecedents, Private World impart a knowing wisdom, glancing to a heritage of musical innovators with thoughtful reverence. This carries through to “Somethin’ Special”, splashes of crystalline synth-pop punch and mercury-rising bass figuring as a tribute to esteemed Madonna session guitarist David Williams. Elsewhere, the standout beauty of “Magic Lens” beguiles with nocturnal mystique, a waiflike quality shared with “Chasm”, hues of The Blue Nile and Hard-era Gang of Four underscoring both tracks respectively.

Private World’s gravitational pull lies in the way the duo adopts a resolute, meticulously curated, rather than scattershot, palette of inspiration - exerting definitive, holistic control over their style, credo and trajectory. The art of original songcraft, as such, is on full display with Aleph, Sanders and Jowett harnessing an accomplished lineage of motifs to engineer alluring, timeless and mesmeric flights of melancholia.