White Arrows – In Bardo

White Arrows’ sophomore album is the result of slowing down, having a think, and coming back fighting. After 2012 debut Dry Land Is Not a Myth, the band have thrown any sense of caution to the wind. A blur of genre and influence is wrapped up in psychedelia and oft-cheesy song titles, but stand-out track Get By is a bold, colourful, proper pop song, and I Want A Taste starts out coolly measured but implodes for a seriously huge, heavy conclusion.

“Nobody fucking cares” makes an enjoyably nihilistic yet festival-ready chorus, and recent single Nobody Cares opens up into a twinkling, feel good dancefloor that’d be wonderful with a beer in hand. Finale God Alert parts 1 and 2 might seem strange in concept but somehow steals the show. There’s a super distorted guitar riff that thunders in, emulating the vocal melody in a glam kind of way. It’s weirdly great; then later, when the track turns into a shiny pop haze a la The Neighbourhood, it still all seems to work. Colour us baffled... but in this case that's not necessarily a bad thing. [Katie Hawthorne]