8/10

After gathering a huge amount of support for their debut album 'Major Arcana' back in 2013, US indie outfit Speedy Ortiz return with their sophomore release 'Foil Deer' and this time, look keen to build on their already solid foundations. Receiving fair comparisons to the likes of Best Coast and Pixies, Speedy Ortiz's new material shows a far more advanced level of diversity within their chosen sound and gives us an incredibly impressive new release.

With a mix of screeching and leisurely played guitars under the harmonious vocals of frontwoman Sadie Dupuis, the album likes to encourage the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic of grunge-era rock but with a contemporary twist. The band have opted to create a record that seems to pay homage to the American rock sound of the last twenty years, dabbling in the favoured post-punk and emo inspirations that have proven so popular in recent times.

Ultimately it is hard to pin down exactly what kind of band they are this time. There is so much experimentation between the tracks that listening to it could result in loving or hating it. But regardless of that, they have shown a great level of songwriting prowess throughout and made one of the most interesting records we have heard so far this year.