7/10

Since the release of their heavily-praised debut album 'About U' in 2017, the queer-identifying trio MUNA have seen their profile grow extraordinarily these last couple of years. While fairly low on people's radar before the record's release, the music truly spoke for itself as the outfit were invited to play on numerous world tours and gave them the acclaim that they so greatly deserved. And as they release their sophomore full-length 'Saves The World', it is clear that they are looking to move away from their raw and ragged style of their formative years as they return with a far glossier follow-up.

While their first release had this strong, almost punk-like edge to it, their return sees them scrap the rough-around-the-edges approach for something far more professionally produced. Yet while other bands would obviously experience some kind of backlash to such a commercial turn, 'Saves The World' still manages to deliver some hefty goods throughout its 44-minute runtime. Taking cues from the likes of The 1975 and Haim, the group look set to merge the two worlds of underground alternative and forward-thinking pop music into something far more refreshing and refined to what we originally thought they could do.

While it doesn't quite deliver the same impact as their debut, 'Saves The World' is a solid and euphoric return that sees the trio in good spirits throughout. It may initially be jarring to think that this is still MUNA, but their broad and expansive sound simply can not be denied as they deliver a strong and welcoming return.