6/10

Having released their shoegaze-inspired debut album 'Save Your Season' back in 2011, the Portland-based duo Mint Julep have chosen a more electronic route for their long-awaited follow up. Their new release 'Broken Devotion' seems to have taken on more of an electro-pop journey as the husband and wife pair aim to create a sound that uniquely fits their current frame of mind.

From the off, 'Broken Devotion' comes across as a colour-by-numbers template of any major electro-pop record. Its glossy synths and euphoric production hark back to the 'Oracular Spectacular' era of MGMT. But as it moves on, we get to hear more of that initial sound the pair had on their debut release. The result is a hybrid of both styles coming together to create something enjoyable and diverse throughout.

It may not be the most unique record but what it has is a great deal of energy that it lets out in small bursts, most notably on 'White Hot Heart', 'Small Memory' and title-track 'Broken Devotion'. These help hold the album together and create a humble yet pleasing release.