8/10

When London's art-rock outfit HMLTD released their debut LP 'West Of Eden' in 2020, it was greeted as a brilliantly adventurous and distinctive release on the new music scene that year. Combining raw and driven aesthetics against an untethered approach to genre and direction gave the collection a wonderfully dynamic sound that stood out amongst their contemporaries. But after a few years of figuring out their next move, they return with their eagerly-awaited sophomore album 'The Worm', a record that builds upon that ambitious ideal once again.

While very much a departure from what they turned out in their infancy, 'The Worm' still makes for a wonderfully fresh and unique listen. Taking their usual approach to vision and blending it with elements of jazz and a psychedelic energy, as well as a sci-fi-come-folklore narrative running through it, this new release instantly hits as their most out-there offering to date. Although it may not have the same hard and heavy impact as their first effort, it still has this brilliantly inventive sound that feels like it deserves more than one listen to really absorb all of it.

HMLTD have always been ones to push the boundaries of both the scene's and their own direction, but 'The Worm' feels so far ahead of everything around right now. Venturing down some beautifully warm and experimental avenues once again, it is certainly one you will want to revisit time and time again.