Milk Maid – Mostly No

If it needed confirmation, Milk Maid’s second album firmly validates Martin Cohen’s decision to tap out from a waning Nine Black Alps to front a three-piece of his own. Mostly No follows debut Yucca closely, both in proximity (separated by a year), and in sound: distorted guitar pop with a sunshine glint, sailing on feedback and fuzz.

As with Yucca, the release date offers a persuasive serving suggestion, with the album’s grazed contents offering an apt summer soundtrack (and at little over half an hour, it lasts about as long as the average UK dry spell to boot…). Generally, the louder and faster Cohen and band play, the better they sound, with recent single Do Right brandishing an irresistible Wavves-ish hook and Drag to Find delivering a concise high. Slower, more spacey efforts have less personality, though No Goodbye is an exception, closing the album on a satisfyingly bittersweet note.