Trapped Mice – Waving and Pointing EP

After Portrait of the Great Father saw Edinburgh’s Trapped Mice set out a confident but fairly conventional indie-rock stall, Waving and Pointing sees the quintet open out their sound. The title track’s jaunty synth riff helps counter its somewhat plodding pace, though the EP may nonetheless have benefited from a few more ups and downs.

Which is why final track Ghostwriter Blues is the obvious stand-out: its raucousness isn’t entirely convincing, but as it’s the first time the Mice have bared their teeth on record, it’s a notable development that bodes well. “Make me famous!” lead mouse Ian Tilling roars sarcastically, and while they’ve a way to go, Waving and Pointing makes their real ambitions that little bit clearer. [Chris Buckle]