London based duo Oh Wonder tapped into something spectacular last year, announcing they would release a single on the first day of the month for a year before releasing their debut album. Last attempted over two decades ago, this little scheme has earned them a #26 place in the album charts in its first week, as well as over 7 million plays on Soundcloud. The formula has been praised as brave and ingenious, gaining millions of fans from such a simple concept.

No song is a filler – not one feels out of place and each has its own special quality. If this single-based build up has done anything, it has created an album full of hits. ‘Livewire’ appears first, a desperately honest single about being someone’s “strength and energy”. A compelling first track; it’s impossible not to be drawn in. Other stand out tracks ‘Technicolour Beat’ and ‘Lose It’ were both inspired by a 24-hour party in Melbourne and show the duo at their best: fearless and full of life.

Oh Wonder have a clear layout with their tracks. They produce stripped back pop songs with a handful of synth and drum samples, along with synced up melodies. But with a BBC Maida Vale session last month, they proved without doubt that this isn’t all they can do. The penultimate single release ‘Drive’ shows their versatility, building up the track slowly, adding classical strings and piano backing to create a sweet and masterfully produced pop song.

The album eventually drifts off into more ominous ground – ‘Heart Hope’ and ‘Plans’ provide a tranquil ending to a sensational debut from Oh Wonder, capping off a year that has seen them rocket from obscurity to surprise act of the year, thanks to a crafty scheme with a year of faultless monthly releases.

Luke Humphrey