September Girls – Age of Indignation

2014's Cursing the Sea did just enough to flag the potential of this Dublin five piece: their shadowy debut was sharply styled but that winning aesthetic alone couldn’t quite sustain an album ultimately light of a few killer hooks. Age of Indignation is a convincing and credible advance, and September Girls return with their songcraft finely honed.

The title track's ferocious guitars; the feral, tempo-switching Catholic Guilt; opener Ghost with its blistering wig-out coda: this is high-stakes, dark pop. Lauren Kerchner's swirling keys provide colour and drama and the shared vocals hit the mark every time. Tellingly, Age of Indignation is true to its name: September Girls' lyrical concerns are informed by a clear-eyed social commentary. Of course, they're far from alone in this particular sector – legacy noir pop litters the bargain bins – but on this evidence they're vying for pack leadership. [Gary Kaill]