The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar

Gently infectious and overwhelmingly dreamy, The Joy Formidable's debut full-length The Big Roar marks itself out as the soundtrack du jour for rock 'n' roll escapists. Having received acclaim for both their energetic live sets and 2009 EP, A Balloon Called Moaning, it is a pleasure to finally have an album to explore – and the wait has been worth it.

From the opening grunge-march of The Everchanging Spectrum Of A Lie to the reworked crescendo tease of Whirring, the songs ebb and flow joyfully from beginning to end, sidestepping pretension and treading firmly on likeably creative ground. Ritzy Bryan's reverb-drenched voice brings focus to the busy arrangements, joining the giant riffs, warm basslines, and varied drum patterns like a cross between The Smashing Pumpkins and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Tough to criticise, it is the assured, life-affirming sound of a band not just reaching for greater things, but moulding them as their own. [Jonathan Butcher]