7/10

When Glaswegian post-punk outfit The Ninth Wave began to gain traction back in 2017, it was one of the most exciting and adventurous times for the band. Releasing a flurry of bright and enticing releases in the years since, they quickly built up a reputation as one of the most explorative new bands working at the time, culminated with their fantastic 2019 double LP 'Infancy'. And while their prolific streak ran into overdrive in the years following, they are now looking to take a break from things as they deliver their sophomore studio album 'Heavy Like A Headache', a record that now feels more like a curtain call.

In the weeks before this release, The Ninth Wave announced that they would be taking a hiatus, ending after their current run of announced shows. With this new information hanging over them, 'Heavy Like A Headache' has a far different context to it. Now feeling like a possible finale to their run to date, their newest collection looks to build upon their aesthetic to date and offer a more progressive ideal this time around. While their original work was very much skirting the line of the traditional post-punk genre, it feels like they have really come into their own on this one, and delivered something that sounds more distinctive to them.

It probably won't be the last time we hear new music from The Ninth Wave, but if it is, they have certainly capped themselves off in style. 'Heavy Like A Headache' is a wonderfully rich and daring collection of euphoric cuts, continuing their reputation as one of the more impressive names to have emerged in recent years.