Casual Sex – The Bastard Beat EP

Casual Sex have perhaps the most problematic name to search for since The Music; but thankfully, that's where the similarities end. There's no doubting the Glasgow four-piece's burgeoning profile – they were a star turn at several summer festivals, before decamping to the States to support Franz Ferdinand on tour this past autumn – but do they have the songs?

The Bastard Beat EP suggests yes, but leaves you wondering what tracks they have tactically held back. If they are better than Nothing On Earth – a smooth groove with Low-style drums, sharp bass and Sam Smith quietly eulogising an unnamed lover – then Casual Sex better clear their diaries for next year. 

Even if this marks their creative high point, they've still achieved something special. It's not often you hear an EP sounding so accomplished – even from a band led by a professional sound engineer – but it's rarer still to find five songs with as much humour and invention as these.