The accompanying video to this latest single release from relative newcomers Circle Of Reason leans towards American post-punk bands Blink 182, Bowling For Soup et al due to possessing a similar mischievous sense of humour. However, that is where the comparisons end because ‘Themes Amongst Thieves’ has more in common with the alternative rock sounds of Smashing Pumpkins and QOTSA with a slight soft spot for the Deftones despite sounding considerable years apart. There is an undisputed level of confidence threating to brim over when it comes to ‘Themes Amongst Thieves’ which is highly admirable considering this is only Circle Of Reason’s third release. If such form can be expressed when it comes to talk of a full-length player, then the future bodes well for this four-piece band. Now, anyone for a game of Ping-Pong?

With artwork more attuned to an altogether different scene, Beast Milk conjure up the ghost of Joy Division, bringing it up-to-date via Interpol but sounding far lower in the mix during ‘Death Reflects Us’ and all the better for it. The room temperature fails to rise above freezing during the aptly titled ‘The Wind Blows Through Their Skulls’ as guitars run full throttle throughout before arriving at the equally bleak in name ‘Genocidal Crush’. It is this latter song, however, that raises the stakes higher for Beast Milk, offering an uncanny resemblance to Ian McCulloch (Echo & the Bunnymen) as it wrings out a more melodic edge yet still retaining a claustrophobic feel. Such a dense atmosphere is all too infectious as it transmits to ‘You Are Now Under Our Control’, plummeting to further depths under a pounding rhythm and cast adrift vocal supplied by Kvohst.  If you’re looking for songs full of optimism, then you won’t find too much of that here, but what you will find is a thoroughly persuasive album of postpunk and indie guitar rock with an ice-cold exterior that will satisfy fans of Bauhaus and the previously mentioned Joy Division and Interpol.

There is no doubting the vocal ability when it comes to James Arthur and his eponymously titled album as clearly the man is gifted, but when it comes to the actual songs there is just a little too much familiarity of having been here once too often before. Take, for example, the hit single ‘Impossible’; an inoffensive yet plodding composition that could have been delivered by countless pop singers over the past couple of years, due to possessing more than a whiff of the aforementioned familiarity, which also seeps into the equally bland ‘Recovery’ and music by numbers ‘Is This Love’. Where this album begins to show signs of life, despite still clinging to the edges of the safety blanket, is the quieter reflective moments such as ‘Roses’ with fine accompaniment by Emeli Sandé and equally matched ‘Certain Things’ with Chasing Grace providing the vocal support on this occasion. ‘Smoke Clouds’, being a James Arthur composition, rides on a soulful vocal that is drifting down a lonesome path but one that reveals a genuine amount of personality and all the better for it. This is perhaps the crux of the problem as James Arthur can apply his vocals to suit a raft of genres, as indicated by the tail-end rap of ‘Flyin’, but it remains to be seen whether the same flexibility can be applied when it comes to the choice of songs next time around.

Still relatively fresh-faced on the underground circuit due to only forming late 2012, Otto return with second single ‘Maybe It’s The Caffeine’. Having gained invaluable experience supporting the likes of Moose Blood and Gnarwolves, Otto remain poised to take the next step with an EP scheduled to record before the end of the year. As it stands, the various issues bubbling beneath the surface of ‘Maybe It’s The Caffeine’ remains a source of irritation and agitation that no amount of coffee could possibly induce. If Otto can maintain such promising form with the hard-edged yet restrained qualities of this current single, then they have an extremely bright future ahead of them.

Hailing from Australia, Karnivool raise their collective heads once more for album number three ‘Asymmetry’. Calling on the production services of Nick DiDia (Rage Against The Machine) ‘Asymmetry’ is ambitious in its approach with a sprawling mass of sounds relying on various programming spliced with standard instrumentation. What is particularly appealing here is the lack of posturing as Karnivool, despite the heavy chords, more often than not remain restrained when it comes to the vocal delivery and sounding all the more sincere. Elsewhere it’s the manner in which songs take a nosedive before applying the brakes only to follow another trajectory as expressed by the pummelling noise of ‘A.M. War’ and awe-inspiring elements of ‘Aeons’. Recent single ‘We Are’ is about as commercial as it gets for Karnivool, which is not revealing too much, as it remains dense in its layers only to be surpassed by the utterly compelling ‘The Refusal’ with its interchange of aggressive and controlled vocals before entering territory normally reserved for fellow Aussies Big Heavy Stuff. Clearly, ‘Asymmetry’ will take several sittings before the intricate details become clearer which, in the current climate of instant gratification, can only be a good thing.

Taking its title from Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, ‘The Button Moulder’ sees the welcome return of multi-talented musician and songwriter Robert Post. Having returned to his native Norway after a stint in the UK some years ago, Robert Post made a return to his roots in more ways than one. Musically, this meant a stripped-down affair that resulted in the quite sublime ‘Rhetoric Season One’ and saw Robert Post work overtime by raising the bar when it comes to defining the role of a one-man band. Such was the quality of this previous album and critical reception that a season two was hinted at consisting of a fuller sound. Finally, that moment has arrived with only the title shifting from its original conception as ‘The Button Moulder’ consists of more flesh on the bones, despite early indications suggesting differently with the exquisite vocal delivery and bare strings of a singular instrument of introduction ‘Be Kind’. Despite bringing a more comprehensive sound overall, ‘The Button Moulder’ retains a considerable amount of intimacy, due to the fact that Robert Post continues to sail alone when it comes to instrumentation duties, with warm recollections of (a) family life during ‘Safe and Sound’. ‘My Body’ is revisited, this time beefed up from its previous incarnation on ‘Rhetoric…’, and proving to be a definite thorn in Robert’s side as he attacks it with a tad more venom in a doomed attempt to stave off that bugbear of growing old. ‘The Button Moulder’s Walk’ really provides an atmosphere of wide-open spaces before arriving at its destination all too soon. Robert Post’s most compelling instrument, however, remains his vocal as there is a unique and ancient quality about it that can be traced back to earlier folk roots and best served up with ‘Feeler’. Descriptions such as a return to form do not apply when it comes to Robert Post as each and every album contains its own unique merits. In terms of ‘The Button Moulder’ it’s business as usual as Robert Post continues to evolve musically and creatively as all good artists should.