The Lucid Dream – The Lucid Dream

The name is, of course, deliberate. The Lucid Dream is the band, album title and state of consciousness the music is reaching for. The Carlisle group have returned with the sort of psychedelic guitar workouts that will delight anyone still worshiping the altar of the Spacemen 3, and perforate the eardrums of anyone standing too close at their shows. You'll either love the dexterity of opening track Mona Lisa – clocking in at a mere eight minutes – or you'll be left wondering why the sonic cathedral first built by the likes of My Bloody Valentine remains standing in 2015.

The relative critical acclaim the four-piece achieved with Songs of Lies and Deceit has allowed the quartet to expand their horizons on album number two; the production is sharper, the feedback on Morning Breeze rings with that bit more clarity and the vocals harmonise with greater effect. A step up from the usual noisemongers. [Chris McCall]