Universal Audio marks the first time that Scottish stalwarts The Delgados have recorded on their own label. The stupendous Chemikal Underground, which has housed other great Scottish artists such as Arab Strap, Bis, and Mogwai at one time or another. What's surprising about this album though, is that it's almost completely devoid of anything reminiscent of their last two albums The Great Eastern and Hate. Those two albums were lead by production heavy Dave Fridmann, who is responsible for giving Mercury Rev and later Flaming Lips material that certain immense sound. Here though, with Fridmann gone, The Delgados haven't been this simple sounding since their debut record Domestiques. While that album was a much noisier affair, this is probably the most pop sensible record that The Delgados have ever recorded.

With hardly a string arrangement to be found, Universal Audio kicks off with Emma Pollack's sexy over enunciating style voice on the excellent opener "I Fought The Angels." With the grandiose style of their last two albums gone, it does take a few minutes just to get adjusted to the fact there's nothing here but the simple format of guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards. Not that it's a bad thing mind you, the pop format actually suits these Scots quite well. And the fact that Alun Woodward and company play their respective instruments so well, it actually does sound quite symphonic at times. Speaking of Woodward, he does get his voice in the door a few times here. "Is This All That I Came For?" and "Girls Of Valour" are two of the best songs he's ever sung. But for me, Pollack has always been the reason why I go back to The Delgados year after year. Her voice is so striking and transcendant that I have a tough time not falling into a trance. "Keep On Breathing" and especially "The City Consumes Us," a candid tale of despising your hometown, are Pollack at her top-notch best. Pollack gave me a hug once at one of their shows a few years back, and it was all I could do to keep on breathing. Universal Audio isn't anywhere near the best album The Delgados have done, but it's yet another good album from a band that has yet to stumble anywhere in their career.