Majical Cloudz, the project of Canadian electronic indie-pop maestro Devon Welsh, have released their third studio album off the back of the critical success of 2013’s visceral Impersonator. Where the previous LP revelled in creating expansive soundscapes through interweaving vocals and swollen synths, Are You Alone? condenses itself into a series of moody four-minute pop songs. That’s not a bad thing at all – Welsh is a good songwriter, and he’s backed by excellent production from Matthew Otto.

A deep melancholy runs through this record. It may seem obvious from the album’s title (Are You Alone? questions the more philosophical idea of ‘togetherness’), but there’s more here than simply a collection of sad songs. On ‘Heavy’, Welsh proclaims that “You’ve got to learn to love me / ‘cause I am what I am” in a defiant feat of self-acceptance despite the vulnerability in his voice. The tracks are thoughtful and considered, but rooted in subconscious emotion rather than conscious thought; Welsh’s lyrics show his awareness of feeling, epitomised in his yearning that “I felt afraid of being loved / I thought I didn’t need the pain” on ‘If You’re Lonely’. It’s not just good songwriting on this record, because the production work of Otto propels the tracks forward: there’s a beautiful synth overload towards the tail-end of ‘Game Show’ and ‘Downtown has a great, understated beat.

It’s the combination of Welsh and Otto that make this album so powerful. There is optimism amongst its seemingly gloomy nature: it’s not mocking anyone for feeling alone, but instead offers itself as a companion. Sometimes melancholy is needed, and if you’re in that sort of place Are You Alone? is Majical.

Carl White