InstinctMercury ***

Such is the churnover of new acts that it comes as a slight surprise to note that this is the debut album from Swedish duo Malin Dahlstrom and Gustaf Karlöf. The accelerated new music express means the two years Niki & The Dove have spent in the spotlight producing tunes feels a lot longer. Anyone who has tracked the Stockholm act will be familiar with a great deal of the material on Instinct, and it's telling that the better tracks are the ones with the longer legs. Their melancholic synth-pop, swooning electronica and melodramatic vocals sounds best on the smartly crafted DJ, Ease My Mind, though the twists and turns exhibited on Mother Project and Dahlstrom showing off her Stevie Nicks moves on In Our Eyes are also deftly handled. This one will hold their place in the queue – for now. nikiandthe dove.com

Download track:DJ, Ease My Mind