Broadcast always seem to bring their A-game to every album they produce. Whether you’re a fan of their psychedelic electronic pop or not, it’s hard to deny that everything from The Noise Made By People onwards is carefully conceived, edited and produced. More so than most bands these days, each Broadcast album is a unified entity, and while you can pick out individual songs as favourites, the whole is always more than the sum of its parts.

Singer Trish Keenan mentioned in an interview that the recording process for each album is stressful enough that some of their best songs come after the recording sessions are in the bag and the band is left to their own devices, not having to worry about deadlines or album motifs or sequencing. The Future Crayon collects a bunch of these one-offs from various EPs and singles from the years up to and including Haha Sound. “Where Youth And Laughter Go” is a staple of their earlier live shows, back when they were touring The Noise Made By People. I daresay it’s better live; to understand why, watch their performance of “Winter Now.”

Considering the shift in sound of Tender Buttons and the prospect of a different direction for album number 4, it’s probably best to consider The Future Crayon as a time capsule and a holdover until the next Broadcast album, set for sometime next year.