Some records, they just floor you. Phuture's "Rise From Your Grave", that one got me. The first time I heard Run-DMC the music hit me so hard I was unable to eat for three days afterwards. "Misled" by Moodymann. The Durutti Column's "Circuses & Bread". Venom's "Black Metal". "Baby Be Mine" off Thriller. The Nintendo theme tune for RoboCop. Some music just instantly hits.

No Lucky Days is a record of this type. In terms of instrumentation and production, it's an exceptionally good work. But it's a universe away from self-regarding coffee house acid jazz. There's lush production - harp and woodwind are deployed well here - bucolic vibe - but the lyrics go right into everyday urban life, where 'no-one seems to notice the darkness around'. The word darkness is sung almost as if it's meant to say 'doubtness'. Full marks to Emilie Chick for the vocals on this.

I love all of this record, but The Ruins of Britain is especially good, as is Rise which starts off as spoken word, kind of tomb of the unknown (millions of) factory worker(s) stuff- and ends up with a full three minutes of the word "nothing" repeated by an opera style chorus. Well it would be that but for (after three minutes of 'nothing' - Cage reference?) you suddenly get the words "ghosts forgotten".

This is powerful stuff. After all, who are these 'ghosts, forgotten'? Us, that's who. The chimney sweepers, prostitutes, farmhands, unemployed people, minimum wage kids, pensioners, care workers. Dreamers.

There are some heavy themes in this work. But it's not about defeat. Final track Nature and Light wraps up the record with advice on optimism - 'To survive, be alive/ Every wind bends every branch/ on higher trees of wisdom".

Highly recommended.