8/10

When Glaswegian outfit Catholic Action delivered their highly-praised debut album 'In Memory Of' in 2017, the terminal feeling around the record's name gave many pause for thought over the band's future. Giving the release such a final title left many feeling that while they were no doubt one of the most exciting outfits to emerge that year, maybe they would ultimately turn themselves away once all the hype died down. Thankfully for us, Catholic Action's presence on the world stage grew every month and now they look to do it all again as they share their eagerly-awaited sophomore full-length 'Celebrated By Strangers'.

As it turns out, 'Celebrated By Strangers' was already in the works long before 'In Memory Of' even made it to our ears, which goes to explain why this record is such a perfect continuation of their sound. Much like their debut, this return is filled to the brim with the same bold and irreverent ideas that were littered across their earlier work. Mixing shoegaze, art-rock, and an uncompromising swagger to get people's feet moving, this new collection sees them bring even more energy and good times to their latest album than we thought possible, giving the tired term "second difficult album" a run for its money.

Catholic Action may have been drowning in hype for the last three years, but that has not affected the pretence they have brought to their latest album. They have returned in stellar form, and deliver one of the most enjoyable and exciting records of the year so far, showing that their buzz may only just be beginning.