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Richard Youngs is an experimental, avantgarde English musician based in Glasgow who has been releasing both his own music and the recordings of others (via his No Fans Records label) since the 80s. His latest release on Jagjaguwar is a hypnotic collection of songs that hang in the air and focus primarily on the voice.

Youngs’ voice has a haunting, keening tone that brings to mind Mark Hollis of Talk Talk, Robert Wyatt and David Sylvian. He is in that tradition of restless wandering English musicians who are both prolific and exploratory in their method.

Under Stellar Stream utilises very sparse musical backdrops. All Day Monday And Tuesday is a relentless repetition on the theme of time with a melancholic organ and bass soundtrack. With Youngs’ voice up loud in the mix it builds a feeling of intimacy and a slightly unnerving closeness to the artist.

Cluster To A Star returns melody to the moment allowing the listeners attention to work in behind the vocals and explore the shimmer and floating ambience in Youngs’ compositon. The chords in Arise Arise hang in the air ominously like Twin Peaks filtered through Mogwai while a distantly faint bass drum pulses almost inaudibly like a fading heartbeat. The song is the album’s most engaging moment.

Youngs’ has put together an album of grand and austere avantgarde pop music that can be traced back to Cale’s solo work and on through the serious and weighty efforts of the artists listed at the start of this review. His skill lies in minimalism and mood and a certain feeling of strength via loss. It is bleak music that awkwardly comforts.

Under Stellar Stream is out now on Jagjaguwar via Inertia