8/10

Over the course of the last few months, Liverpool's Courting have been greeted as the future sound of the UK's indie-rock scene. With a flurry of fresh and dynamic releases under their belt already, the band have been cracking through the strict veneer of people's expectations at almost every turn, landing them as one of the most hyped-up bands on the circuit right now. So just as their buzz reaches its zenith, they have now delivered their eagerly-awaited debut studio album 'Guitar Music', a record that looks to cement their glittering reputation so far.

Despite it's title, 'Guitar Music' opens up with a gnarled frenzy of glitching electronics on initial effort 'Cosplay / Twin Cities', no doubt an effort to trim the herd of those not willing to delve into their inventive ideals. But from there, the group unearth one exciting and energetic indie-rock cut after another, instantly ratifying their adventurous direction to date. Clearly looking to follow in the post-punk-inspired avenue that many others have chosen to tread these last few years, Courting still manage to find something fresh and interesting to do with their sound, making for a surprising and explosive initial full-length.

The acclaim surrounding them up until now was clearly an exciting ride, but 'Guitar Music' is a release that perfectly justifies their mouth-watering praise. A band brimming with kaleidoscopic ideas of where to take their sound and aesthetic, it feels like we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what they are capable of.