Granted, they may not be reinventing the wheel, but the duo feel reinvigorated.

While it perhaps won’t warrant an influx of new listeners, The Waterfall is an inviting record that will leave returning fans thankful for them not disappearing.

It’s unlikely they’ll stay still for any prolonged period of time, but for now Nai are tighter knit than ever before.

Mew have always been unpredictable, and with +- they prove, once again, that it’s all for the best.

The only thing holding the album, and the band, back from being outstanding is the lack of obtuse moments; as at points the piano/electronic drums/synth combo can wear a little thin.

For everything that's come before, For All My Sisters feels like another step up. [Mar 2015, p.71]

Whether it be these jacked-up moments or those hazy, sinking flurries such as the freakish downer ‘Merry Nightmare’, everything Scott has written on Sunshine Redux encapsulates all of his best qualities. This time though, those qualities are amplified, pristinely-recorded and have even caught the sun a bit.

There’s a bit of filler in the form of the relatively stagnant ‘Xmas In Japan’; but pretty much all of the other tracks are just great big fun dancefloor fillers.

With a good spread of melodies and hooks throughout, even if ideas do fly about like rice paper, it’s a strong development of a record.

It’s all the more joyous for its lack of shame. This is a major label pop album and that’s OK.

over again. A snarling, twisted, mischievous creation, Foil Deer is a leaping, high-spirited joy of a record.

The improvements from the self-titled album can only be comprehensively taken in with a full listen of Jackrabbit, but using a second album to slowly build and improve an already vastly promising sound--instead of attempting an erratic reinvention--is something Ludwig-Leone should be commended for.

Notes may be reached, riffs rinsed, stop-start moments choreographed, but nothing’s being reached for, on appearance, at least--it’s all so brilliantly effortless.

Though it may come across as an innocuous affair to some, Lucid Dreaming simultaneously triumphs as both a cohesive, introspective body of work and a bona fide pop record.

Overall Beat the Champ will no doubt prove a hit with die-hard Mountain Goats fans, however as a standalone album it lacks a coherent sound.

Even with the twisting and turning of different styles Gallows remain ferocious until the last drop.

Nevertheless for all the mature restraint and consummate mastery it can be hard not to miss the sheer energy and fury of previous albums, the restless experimentation.

Glitterbug is a tired album that lacks invention and makes the landfill indie tag even easier to attribute.

Trick manages to blend melancholy and unsettling weirdness with a strange, uplifting sense of hope.

They’re never going to reinvent the wheel, and there are a few moments (halfway mark ‘Missing You’ springs to mind) that feel a little too much. But there is something intensely satisfying in their sugary hooks and their handle on catchy, unadulterated melodies.

Fast Food is pretty successful in capturing the ups and downs of complicated relationships. The fact it manages that in a way which is neither hackneyed or predictable is near miraculous.

The overall ethos for this collection of songs is that less really is more. Leading to an absolute triumph of a record. Incredible songs, performed with honesty and passion.

Nestled in these adrenalised, highly evolved songs are bright pop hooks, showing that other artists could compete with Doldrums, but they wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Nothing within the album paves way for the future--instead, it feels like an exercise in honouring the past.

It’s chaos, the most extreme kind of hybrid imaginable. With that freedom, they sound more excitable and progressive than ever, like they’re chasing a pot of gold that contains endless truths.

Thankfully, it’s always Doyle’s intention to break down boundaries, even if he’s ticking verse-into-chorus boxes. As a result, music is the real winner.

A journey of self-discovery, confidence abounding like limits simply don’t exist.

This is a captivating record; a studied, precise and explorative showcase of songwriting, equal parts accessible and experimental.