'Rapture,' the new album from Tropics - aka 27 year old Chris Ward - looks outwards, armed with a newfound confidence that foregrounds his vocal performance and songwriting.

It's a musical progression that mirrors a personal one: the early Tropics output was all made in the idyllic, if isolated setting of Ward's grandmother's empty house in the seaside town of Southsea, which he moved into after graduating from university to focus on writing and recording.

Tropics' new full-length 'Rapture' is the culmination of this journey. A multi-instrumentalist from an early age, Ward has always drawn on his musical upbringing when composing, but this time around he's pushed himself to develop a fuller sound than ever with the help of Vaz, Hislop and specialist jazz drummer Gillan McLaughlin. Taking influence from Beach Boys, Max Roach and Arthur Russell, Ward has crafted an album that fuses his love of avant-garde percussion, 70s and 80s singer-songwriters such as Peter Gabriel known for pop-leaning hooks, and deep production that takes cues from ambient music.

Whether filling dance floors or simply filling up your headspace, 'Rapture' is an intricate and intimate record that presents the many faces of Tropics in a more revealing light than ever before.