Recorded between the Albion Rooms in Margate and Jelly Studios in Ramsgate, spiritual five-piece Pigeon’s debut album ‘OUTTANATIONAL’ tackles subjects including belonging, migration and identity with a joyous enthusiasm.

There’s an afrobeat intro on album opener ‘NRG’, a song that demands you give it its titles while Falle Nioke wards off evil spirits over a deeply satisfying bass line: ‘They want to pull me back, I wanna go forward’. ‘Black James Dean’ follows with a more post-punk sound – complete with gothic, danceable undertones. Recent single ‘Miami’ is next up with bouncing keys and a synthy bass sound, Falle offering joyous sing-along chants of ‘come on’ and chanting ‘M-I-A-M-I, going to Miami’.

‘117’ is a more experimental piece, although the relentless bass shows Pigeon are a band that want to make you shuffle your feet – and make you feel good: ‘Believe in yourself’. ‘Mirror Test’ has a funkier sound that sounded somewhat to us like an update to Prince’s Batman soundtrack, complete with a potent guitar solo and radiant positivity: ‘You make me feel alive’.

Woozy bass, handclaps and so much more push the urgency of ‘Future Country’ while ‘Today is another day’ is a tender piece to start with, with gorgeous observations about ‘always looking forward’ while pushing ‘Yesterday to the horizon’. The closing ‘Caramel’ is a psychedelic, spiritual and sprawling prayer that’s both mysterious and a little bit magical…

‘OUTTANATIONAL’ is a record that can’t fail to make you smile – watch this Pigeon go.