In their short history to date, forming as early as 2012, Swedish post-hardcore unit, Disembarked has created an extremely impressive EP full of gut churning emotions which come as a result of the soul-destroying revelations at the core of this work. With the literal definition of abscond meaning ‘to depart in a sudden and secret manner’ it is small wonder that Pontus Figge Carlsson sounds like a man teetering on the verge of losing the power of speech such is the frantic and despairing nature of his pleas literally straining at the leash before being driven back to the very point he started from during ‘Abscond’. This is raw honesty of the highest order as ‘Bewildered’ seems to squeeze out its literal meaning in utterly compelling fashion. Guitars ring out loud in abundance, yet offer sweet melodic support on several occasions bringing to mind Explosions in the Sky and This Will Destroy You. If future releases continue in similar fashion, then Disembarked is one to look out for as on present form the band is definitely an intriguing prospect.

‘All the drama queens are gone’ suggests a touch of self-mockery during the broody ‘Welcome To My World’, nicely restrained in its execution, but all the usual hallmarks of Depeche Mode remain throughout this, their 13^th studio album and nothing wrong with that either. In fact, Martin Gore has referred to latest album ‘Delta Machine’ as a fusion of the band’s masterpiece ‘Violator’ with the not too far behind in the classic stakes ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’. Such a revelation is accurate as ‘Angel’ is reminiscent of lead vocalist Dave Gahan in preacher mode circa ‘Songs Of…’ whereas the electronic subtlety of ‘Secret To the End’ could easily contest for a place on ‘Violator’. However, it is the understated tone of ‘Delta Machine’ which really sets it apart from the aforementioned DM releases and this is much welcomed. The skeletal electronica of ‘My Little Universe’ and tinge of swampy rock during ‘Slow’ offer a freshening of the DM palette and further reasoning as to why this band is still relevant. Martin Gore adopts vocal duties on ‘Child Inside’ before Dave Gahan resumes normal duties with the pulsating ‘Soft Touch/Raw Nerve’ and stretched vocals of ‘Should Be Higher’. ‘Delta Machine’ may require a tad more patience compared to previous offerings, but persist and you will be rewarded because this is truly exceptional on all levels. Welcome back.

Straight outta the Western Star stable come highly tipped trio The Bullets with an array of original rockin’ compositions. ‘Sons Of The Gun’ is the end result of a busy period spent honing and crafting the contents of this long player under the watchful eye of Alan Wilson (The Sharks). Songs brim with a raw energy such as ‘Jump When I Want’ and muscular ‘Mean To Me Baby’ as does the deceptively titled ‘Moonshine’ with its merest hint of twanging guitar yet howling at the moon vocal supplied by Brett Waters. There is petulance afoot with ‘I Don’t Wanna’ whereas ‘The Beast In Me’ contains traces of Johnny Burnette and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio which is always a winning ingredient. It is left to the less energized and more country leanings of ‘Desperate Man’ to reveal another facet to The Bullets which is further compounded with the Western flavoured and always welcome brass of ‘Son Of A Gun’. The betting odds have just shortened on The Bullets as most likely artist to breakthrough this year.

Currently touring the length and breadth of the UK due to popular demand as none other than Chas & Dave, ‘Together We Made Music’ sees Chas Hodges flying the flag alone in a tribute to some of the great musicians he has had the pleasure of working with whether as providing backing support or merely strumming a few well-known ditties with the likes of The Beatles or Cliff Richard. Such details can be garnered from the comprehensive liner notes that are as compelling as the covers selected for this solo effort such as ‘Bring A Little Water Sylvie’, ‘Crazy Arms’ and tribute to Screaming Lord Sutch ‘Don’t You Just Know It’. It remains, however, closing number ‘Where Am I Gonna Find Ya’ – a Hodges and initial starting point for co-writer Dave Peacock to pen their own contribution – that really sticks in the throat and offers a timely reminder of why the duo are held so affectionately.

The semi-ska revival begins here with Bergen’s Razika. The gears of ‘På Vei Hjem’ really begin to shift in motion from the off with ‘Verdens Beste By’ (‘The World’s Best City’) opening drumroll setting proceedings up nicely for the dissatisfactory opinion of ‘Oslo’ with its; ‘Så kjære Oslo, du ser så bra ut men er ingenting for oss’ (‘So, dear Oslo, you look good but are not for us’) cleverly wrapped up in a sweetly addictive chorus and yarn concerning the complexities of a distant relationship. ‘Oss To For Alltid’ (‘Us Two For Always’) and ‘Gang På Gang’ (‘Time After Time’) will appease the indie brigade and hence the aforementioned ‘semi-ska’ revival as Razika refuses to be shackled with the constraints that labels often bring. The final call of the delicate sounding ‘Bli Her’ (‘Stay Here’) and almost ‘knees-up’ jaunt of ‘Jeg Gir Alt For At Du Skal Gi Deg’ (‘I Give Everything So That You Give Yourself’) bring this album to a solid conclusion. It will be interesting to see where Razika go from here as this is one fine follow-up record.

A firm favourite within FLW towers, Hanne Kolstø’s brand of indie art-pop is reminiscent – visually – of the kind of oddities that littered the UK independent scene during the mid-eighties, with Felt springing to mind here. Musically, ‘FlashBlack’ is a real melange of sounds with traces of the Cocteau Twins (‘Pretty Veil’), My Bloody Valentine (ditto), early Depeche Mode to name a few, to more straightforward folk-influenced numbers such as ‘Far Ahead’ and ‘Not Looking’. It remains, however, that the steady climb of ‘LA-LA-LA-LA Lovesong’ and the indie guitar-rock of the rather excellent ‘Carousel’ lead the way when it comes to standout tracks. FLW waits with baited breath for the next instalment in Kolstø’s proposed trilogy.