8/10

Throughout their tenure as one of the UK's, if not the world's, most proficient space-rock outfits, Spiritualized have rewritten the rulebook on what they should sound like several times already. Never ones to rest on their laurels, they have been consistently evolving and moving themselves forward in order to create a sound that is both true to their own vision, as well as delivering something fresh for their audience to absorb. And after thirty years on the scene, they are doing it all once again as they release their ninth full-length 'Everything Was Beautiful', a record that continues their impressive streak to date.

Having found themselves in a less prolific state these last few years, only releasing two studio albums in the 2010s, it feels like 'Everything Was Beautiful' is a more refined version of the band as they look to keep the fire alive in these latter days of their career. But despite such a compelling repertoire to their name so far, this new collection still manages to captivate and explore new identities as often as possible. Hardly feeling like they have lost an ounce of energy since their infancy, they have returned with a strong and confident release that exudes rich and colourful ideas from start to finish.

Spiritualized are one of those rare examples of a group still managing to find something inventive and adventurous three decades after they first began. 'Everything Was Beautiful' could easily be remembered as one of their most accomplished releases to date, and no doubt spells even more promise as they continue their journey forward.