Deep Elm, 2010

The follow up to their debut full length Bad News From The Bar, The Connection gives us six tracks of warm emotional rock with a strong pop sensibility and plenty of bright-eyed drive. Singer Mike Getches has a likeable Postal Service / Weakerthans aspect to his delivery, and I can only see it and his lyrics growing in stature over future releases. Ideal summer listening.

Engineer, 2010

Energetic and bright-eyed emo-rock, powered by acoustic guitar and plenty of sugary hooks. You’ll probably have a good inkling from that first sentence whether this is your thing, but it should be added that on their debut full-length the UK quartet do what they do well; it’s not highly original, but it is highly catchy.