Dartz! - The Sad History Of The Village Of Alnerique

This eight track mini album sees the return of Middlesbrough 'dance punk' trio, Dartz!, marking a change in pace for the band. This new offering displays a stronger lyrical focus, with the music - a lot quieter and delicate this time around - taking an understated stance yet providing a rich backbone to the band's dreamy storytelling. Beautifully intricate guitar play weaves in and out of bouncing bass and sporadic marches, sounding hopeful and triumphant at times but laced with melancholy. The sound here borrows heavily from 90s 'emo' bands like Jimmy Eat World and American Football, but is interesting and creative enough to stand on its own two feet. The only let down is the vocals - occasionally sounding weak and out of place - which can be a real frustration on an album with such a lyrical bent. Fortunately, with everything else hitting all the right spots, it's seldom that this becomes an overshadowing criticism. [Ryan Drever]