Owls – Two

If the Pixies' 2003 reunion prompted a tidal wave of excitement, it’s fair to suggest the response to Owls’ return is more akin to a slight ripple. Make no mistake though, for drooling fans of cerebrally whacked-out indie rock, new material from these four gentlemen represents the holy fucking grail.

From the lurching rumble that opens Two, it’s noticeable that the proto-‘twinklecore’ guitars of yesteryear feature less prominently this time round; instead Victor Villareal fires off sheets of noxiously addictive noise, especially on the Lungfish-flavoured mantra of Four Works Of Art…

There’s still plenty to make fans all doe-eyed though – I’ll Never Be… sees Tim Kinsella mithering melodiously over a vertiginous math-inflected groove, while I’m Surprised… applies their template to a newfound proclivity towards pop. “We’ve never had nice stuff,” Tim complains, but of course, it ain’t what you got, it’s what you do with it. In that respect, Owls are a genuine force for good. [Will Fitzpatrick]