Review | Album review: second album Melt is a bold step forward for Boxed In

Boxed In
Melt
Nettwerk

Oli Bayston is a man of many talents. A songwriter, programmer, multi-instrumentalist and frontman of indie dance-pop outfit Boxed In, the young Londoner is also a prolific artist. His acclaim­ed debut album was recorded in just 10 days and it’s followed barely a year later by a bolder second effort, Melt. Boxed In, with echoes of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem, is very much the brainchild of one man – Bayston creates deft beats and hypnotic loops, with live instrumenta­tion provided by drummer Liam Hutton, bassist Mark Nicholls and guitarist Jack Benfield. Defined by looped, paranoid vocals and intricate piano lines, Jist is a punchy techno-synth-pop opener and as naggingly addictive as anything by James Murphy’s recently reformed Soundsystem. Bayston’s vocals are subtle and understated, especially on Up to You/Down to Meand the dreamy title track, on which melody and rhythm have been layered over the swirling, propulsive grooves. Melt is the sound of Bayston taking a confident leap into an apparently bright future.