Don’t be fooled by that jovial karate-based video for new single ‘Need Your Love’, the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Conditions’ is as earnest – and as overly ambitious – as ever. Take ‘London’s Burning’, for example, an unashamed homage to The Clash which includes sampled newsreels from 2011’s riots coverage. Moments of cringe-worthiness aside, album two rejoices in TTT’s expansive and elaborately emotional ballads. There’s progression too, ‘Leaving The Heartbreak Hotel’ works with sparse rave pianos, whilst ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ revels in shoulder-padded power pop. An album of admirable bombast, even if it doesn’t always land its punches.
