The Sunday Crossword No 3004, Sunday 15 Jul 2018

ACROSS
1   Cold island, country without an insect (6) CICADA {C}{I}{CanADA}

4   Write song that's repetitive, showing weakness (8) PENCHANT {PEN}{CHANT}
9   Postal system in trouble after beginning to reach breaking point (7) AIRMAIL {AI(Re..h}M}{AIL}
11 Deceiver hearty about retiring (7) BLUFFER {BLUFF}{RE<=}
12 Resilient soul had got perturbed and moved to sob (5,2,3,5) TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS {SOUL+HAD+GOT}*{TO+SOB}*
13 First letter from Lauren? Not right – second letter from Lauren (5) ALPHA {rALPH}{lAu..n}
15 Popular appeal that is receiving cheers around launch (8) INITIATE {IN}{IT}{I{TA<=}E}
18 Ancient monument from century before end of paganism in part connected with church (8) CROMLECH {C}{RO{p...sM}LE}{CH}

19 Tree of greater age (5) ELDER [DD]
21 Property with fleas on ground in absolute mess ultimately (8,7) PERSONAL EFFECTS {PER{FLEAS+ON}*FECT}{mesS}
24 Revolutionary artist, bitter, turned and left (7) RADICAL {RA}{ACID<=}{L}
25 Put forward gold in dramatic scene (7) TABLEAU {TABLE}{AU}
26 Thinker, hot, tires badly (8) THEORIST*
27 Push lever operated by foot in pronounced way (6) PEDDLE (~pedal)

DOWN
1   Nonsense about large fitting followed by rebuke (8) CLAPTRAP {C}{L}{APT}{RAP}
2   Island held by fanatic or fugitive (5) CORFU [T]
3   Not clear about a graph distorted in partition (9) DIAPHRAGM {DI{A+GRAPH}*M}
5   Varied in themes, securing honour with lines providing decorative detail (13) EMBELLISHMENT {MBE}{LL}  in {IN+THEMES}*
6   Funny in taxi? Not a bit (5) CRUMB {C{RUM}aB}
7   Outraged article supplied, filled with pretence (9) AFFRONTED {A}{F{FRONT}ED}
8   Tango with husband ill-judged in party (6) THRASH {T}{H}{RASH}
10 Novel end for festival with electronic beams wrapping displays up (3,10) LES MISERABLES {f...aL}{E}{SMI{BARES<=}LES}
14 Game bird with split rib (9) PARTRIDGE {PART}{RIDGE}

16 Translation of fine story beyond description (9) INEFFABLE {FINE*}{FABLE}
17 Quiet resolution with certain force (8) PRESSURE {P}{RES}{SURE}
20 One in climbing stumbles, showing courage (6) SPIRIT {T{1}RIPS}<=
22 Award mark below zero (5) OSCAR {0}{SCAR}
23 Belief in team lacking weight with editor (5) CREED {CREw}{ED}

GRID