Ed Harcourt - Furnaces, review: 'completely engrossing’

After briefly enjoying the spotlight with a Mercury nomination for his debut album in 2001, Ed Harcourt has since operated mostly in the shadows.

He’s well-connected, playing on stage with Beck, The Libertines and Marianne Faithfull, and writing songs with James Bay, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Paloma Faith. Ralph Steadman even painted the cover for this seventh solo album, which should earn him renewed attention thanks to a new major record deal.

The songs are monsters, from the raw, tribal rhythms of There is a Light Below to the horns and howls of the title track. You Give Me More Than Love is slow, anguished and completely engrossing.