Empire

Empire finds equal comfort in softly delivered yet piercingly poignant lyrics over faintly played instruments as it does in the familiar crunch of sonic space his guitar has been filling for the Dexateens and former band, 13 Ghosts, for decades. A dozen fresh songs that paint an effervescent picture of brotherhood, debauchery, love and loss, all perfectly laid out in an indie meets folk soundscape that perpetuates the true poetry of Armstrong's brilliant prose. It's a fine time for this instant classic to be given its due and reintroduced to the world that needs it.